Social media has changed the way we communicate. Now you can tweet and broadcast every little detail of your life on the Internet. Though the social media has several advantages, it has also created several legalized challenges for employers who
are looking for new ways to control social media so as to reduce the legal risk
virtual assistance, social media at workplace
that might crop up in their organization. In this article, we will focus on the recent developments that have been made in employment laws involving social media.
Online Harassment: This is also known as cyber bullying. When numerous employees of an organization assemble to communicate online, one cannot rule out the possibility of lewd behavior from few employees. According to experts, many employees often raise complaints to HR departments over offensive online behavior. It is the responsibility of the
employer to investigate and deal with complaints. Evidences of offensive online behavior can be used against an employee or employer for establishing an unhealthy work environment. It is highly imperative for companies to train their employees that they should follow basic ethics while communicating with their colleagues on social media. They should be apprised of the fact that hostile behavior exhibited online is against the company’s policy and a punishable offence.
Confidential Information: Social sites allow workers to update about their work life. This is a serious matter of concern. Should am employer put restriction on what his employees should update about their job on social sites? This is a difficult question to answer. However, it is important for employees to maintain confidentiality of serious business matters rather than sharing everything online. As an employer, you should take legal measures to ensure that your employees do not le
ak confidential business information on social media.
Unprofessional Comments by Your Employee: Social media is the most popular platform for discussing one’s personal life, hobbies, politics and of course, the workplace. A negative posting about your workplace on Facebook or Twitter can cost you your job. Therefore, you should refrain yourself from posting updates such as “I hate my job” as such a post can get you fired.
Privacy Rights: Company investigations in the past were carried out by interviewing witnesses. But now, with the help of social media, you can view the Facebook updates of prospective employees to analyze their behavior. Moreover, an employee should always cooperate as and when company
investigations are required. For instance, if an employee alleges that a colleague has sent an obscene text message, it becomes essential to request the accused employee to allow the management to examine the cell phone to find out if the offensive text message was actually transmitted from his/her phone. If an employee fails to cooperate with legitimate company investigations, they can be legally terminated by reviewing the case legally.
Authored by mdsonline.co.in
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