Social Media Policy

plhepner

Does anyone have an active social media policy at their company? I actually wrote one but it basically applies to not sharing trade secrets, for example, and, in new hire training, I advise against posting disparaging comments about co-workers but especially supervisors. However, I want to get at something else here: private communictions.

Let's say you have a situation where a male employee "messages" a female employee stating "sure, under different circumstances and different situations, I would have went after you in a heartbeat". So, the female employee states "Yeah, I always thought you were cute. Well, if you play your cards right you never know." Then, the male employee has a stroke of conscience seeing where it is heading and says he wants to be friends. The male employee is engaged to a teacher in the school system and the female employee is married. Any issues possible harrasment (which I see none because nothing happened) but maybe a little moral issues possibly. We have caught females administering "jobs" (I don't think I can spell it out, right? But we're adults here - you know what I mean) to other males out here at the plant. Opinions?

ACU Frank

I agree there may be no quid pro quo or hostile work environment in the examples you described, but those elements could (and probably will) become part of the landscape before you realize it. Make sure you are mitigating your exposure through regular awareness training and document those efforts, including signed acknowledgments and a clear, well-communicated complaint channel.

Celeste Blackburn SPHR

Make sure your social media policy references your discrimination, harassment, and other relevant policies. Remind employees that online behavior is held to the same standard as face-to-face behavior.