Technology in the workplace

JAthey

Every once in a while, I write an article or other publication about the implications of new technologies in the workplace. Of course, every time I revisit the issue, there are different technologies, trends, and potential ramifications to talk about.

What impact do new technological trends have in your workplace, and how do you handle them? I'm interested in how they aid employees in doing their jobs, but even more so in the types of problems they cause.

Do you have a procedure in place to periodically revisit your policies regarding the proper and prohibited use of workplace technology by your employees? Is it preferable to create a detailed policy (or policies) for each specific issue as it arises (i.e., blogging, social media sites, texting, tweeting, phone apps, spam, viruses, spyware, and so on)? Or do you prefer a more general policy that will hopefully be broad enough to apply to any new technology-related problems that may arise in the future? Is such a policy even possible?

Julie Athey

NaeNae55

We try to have a generic policy that covers a wide variety of issues. It still has to be updated about every 3 years, or more often if any court cases have an impact.

Dutch2

We too try to a more general policy that covers a variety of issues. That being said, occasionally a specific topic will arise that demands our individual attention. Most recently it is the use of Social Media sites that we are dealing with to the point of writing a separate policy to cover this one topic.

Jessica Ayer

A recent U.S. Supreme Court case ([I]City of Ontario v. Quon[/I]) addressed the issue of technology in the workplace. More specifically, it dealt with the issue of texting on an employer-issued device. When reviewing the facts of the case and the Supreme Court's opinion, the big takeaway for employers is how important it is to have electronic communication policies and to keep your policies up-to-date with changing technology. More details on the case can be located at [URL="http://employmentlawpost.com/hrnews/2010/06/17/supreme-court-rules-public-employees-text-messages-not-private/"]http://employmentlawpost.com/hrnews/2010/06/17/supreme-court-rules-public-employees-text-messages-not-private/[/URL].