Most employers have a love-hate relationship with social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. I say most and not all because some companies are blissfully ignorant of social media sites and their impact on their business. For the companies who are aware of Facebook and other sites, they wish for a one-sided relationship. In other words, they want the good – good publicity, good comments and good will. Instead, companies are forced to accept the good with the bad. Social media sites are by definition social – open to all members of the group. Comments that paint a company as benevolent appear side by side with comments that tell a totally different story about the same company. It’s bad enough when the negative comments are posted by customers, but it’s exponentially worse when an employee of the company posts a negative comment. Employees are supposed to have the inside track to what’s going on, a look behind the curtains. To combat this possibility, companies have adopted social media policies that not only minimize their online exposure but may also limit their employees’ rights and other online activities. According to a recent New York Times article, the National Labor Relations Board is stepping in and forcing changes in order to insure employees’ rights are protected. The NLRB has concluded that broad sweeping social media policies illegally hinder workers’ ability to exercise their rights. Policies that ban “disrespectful” comments or comments that criticize the employer are unlawful if they also prevent employees from exercising their right to communicate with other workers if their goal is to improve wages, benefits or working conditions. Social media policies are still necessary, but their scope must be refined and specific. In the past, companies could effectively silence their employees, regardless of the truth (or lack of truth) in their posts. With the new findings by the NLRB, however, employees will be protected if their comments are determined to be aimed at improving their working conditions. Companies will no longer be able to hide misconduct behind closed doors from now on. Good companies should have nothing to fear, especially from their own employees. But even the best companies stumble from time to time and their CEO’s know it. A company that tolerates a bad manager is a thing of the past. Companies that treat their employees poorly will be forced to face their transgressions in the court of public opinion. Transparency is here whether companies believe it or not, whether they want it or not.
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Sam Murray
Award-winning Graphic Designer and Writer Archives
February 2015
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