Social Media Policy for the Workplace

In South African law, there is no specific legislation regulating the use of social media. That being said, it is by no means an unregulated area – there are a variety of intersecting laws that will apply to the use of social media in the work place. Given the pervasive nature of social media and new technology, it is absolutely critical to have a clear and simple social media policy in place. A policy that is user friendly and easy to understand is crucial, particularly given the enormous increase in internet penetration and the sheer number of employees that will use social media – both for personal and business use.

First, distinguish between a social media policy and a social media strategy. A social media policy is essentially a corporate code of conduct which regulates the way employees use various social media platforms.

A social media strategy, conversely, can be defined as the philosophy a company or entity employs to drive its business vision – simply, how the company uses social media to cultivate an online presence and how the technology and social platform is used in order to engage with an online audience.

So, from the outset, it is imperative that a company or business has a clear social media strategy in place – this will lead to employees that understand the function of technology and understand its place in driving the business goals and vision. From this base, a social media policy will regulate how employees use an online platform – to put it simply, the dos and don’ts involved with using social media.

When considering how employees interact online, the South African Government Communication and Information System Department has a useful guide articulating basic guidelines in the use of social media. Some essential points to consider when using social media in the workplace, which are universally applicable, include:

Credibility;
Accuracy, fairness, thoroughness, transparency;
Be respectful;
Be cordial, honest and professional at all times;
Listen and read before you type – before entering any conversation you need to understand the context, who is the potential audience? is there a good reason to place a comment or respond
Write what you know – you have to know your facts and cite credible sources.

For the most part, each policy should be individually drafted for the company in question. This will allow the company to abide by local employment legislation and cater for company specific issues. However, with that in mind, some universal points that should be included in any social media policy:

Purpose of the policy;
Ownership of the social media resource (if company account);
Distinguishing between personal and business interaction;
Privacy;
Copyright;
Confidential company information – financial and client information for example;
Posts that will not be tolerated – racial, ethnic, sexual, religious, and physical disability slurs for example;
Authenticity and responsibility;
Business vision and strategy in social media;
Fair use and productivity