Social Networking In The Workplace

The last few years have seen an increase in the amount of ‘social networking’ that takes place as the likes of My Space, Facebook and Twitter become the virtual hub of activity for millions of people across the UK, and indeed the world. It has become almost impossible not to be able to access these sites as the use of smart phones, laptops and hand held computers continues to grow. This article looks at whether it is always beneficial to have such easy, constant access to these social media hubs, whether they are a help or a hindrance to businesses and what employers can do to regulate the use of social networking in the workplace.

The Institute of Employment Studies advices employers to draw up a policy on social networking and circulate to all employees. Such a policy could include the company’s rules on when employees are permitted to access social media websites, such as during their lunch break, and can also prohibit employees from visiting these sites at all during their contracted hours of work. Companies who work on a network system often choose to block access to these sites for all employees. Employers are also advised to treat electronic behaviour in the same way they would treat non electronic behaviour. For example, if an employee is bullying another employee using the channel of social media this behaviour must be investigated in the same way as if the bullying was being carried out in a non-electronic manner. Employers are advised to act reasonably to issue surrounding social networking by assessing the impact of any social media activity on the business.

There are of course, many advantages to using social media in the workplace if used in the right manner and for the right purposes. More and more businesses are choosing the likes of Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook as ways of marketing their business and advertising their services and there may well come a point in the not too distant future when those businesses that are not using social media for these purposes are in the minority.

With social networking sites being easily available on smart phones and computers many employers are understandably concerned about the amount of hours that are being ‘taken’ from them by employees who are frequently using these sites for non-work purposes. It is important for employers to set out clearly their policy with regard to the use of social networking sites by employees, together with the action that will be taken if employees abuse the rules by spending their working time on social networking sites.

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