Premium Essay

Use of Social Media in the Workplace

In:

Submitted By cdsaz123
Words 2331
Pages 10
Use of Social Media in the Workplace

Executive Summary

With the growing number of social media-related lawsuits happened in Canada, many employers have to find how to create efficient and effective social media policies for their companies. I am a student in a course called Advanced Written Communication, which is one of my third year courses in Bachelor of Business Administration program. As a business student, I am also interested in this problem.

From the research, I find some social media-related cases and some privacy legislations in Canada. They warn both employers and employees that it is necessary to have enough legal and security knowledge. Employers should create media policies based on Canada’s laws, and employees also should carefully use social media in the workplace according to company’s policies.

In addition, I find a fact that numerous companies in Canada and United States ban social media at work. However, this will alienate new employees who like social media, and make old employees feel unhappy. Thus, to create efficient and effective social media policies, a list of useful points are provided at the end.

1.0 Introduction
1.1 Purpose

We will analyze cases of using social media in the workplace, consider the effect of Canada’s related laws, and finally find out how to create efficient and effective social media policies for the company.

1.2 Problems When Creating Social Media Policies

In recent years, social media has become an important part at work for many senior executives (See Figure 1), but social media-related lawsuits are also rising. More and more employers want to create social media policies to protect their companies, and many of them simply block access to social media in companies. This is not a long-term solution. Thus, the detailed analysis of related cases and laws is necessary. This can help employers to

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Social Media In The Workplace

...Social media have been a very important part in every individual life during this century. As users on social media have increased by 170 million during the last year, (Kit Smith, 2016) which clarifies the huge improvement since the beginning of social media. Firstly, social media first type spread out in 1997 with blogging. Woolley introduced a chat function afterwards. Later in 1999, Friends United was introduced to the internet world, where people can communicate together through massages and see pictures. After that, many websites came out among the years such as the most famous social media Facebook, which was launched by Mark Zuckerberg in 2004. (Dijck, 2015) According to the huge social media revolution nowadays, the usage of social...

Words: 1012 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Social Media in the Workplace

...TalentTalk A SilkRoad TalentTalk Report SOCIAL MEDIA & WORKPLACE COLLABORATION 2012 Latest Practices, Key Findings, Hottest Topics TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 13 14 15 Executive Summary Methodology and Respondent Profile Corporate Approaches to Social Media Access Why Do Employees Use Social Media at Work? “Socializing” with Customers Twitter and Facebook Prevail: Corporate Social Networks Lag Mobile Devices: Personal Use of Social Media at Work Social Media Policy in the Workplace Do Employers Ask Workers for Personal Social Passwords? Email: The Most Popular Way to Share Information The Expanding Job Description and Capturing Employee Expertise In Conclusion 3 // SOCIAL MEDIA AND WORKPLACE COLLABORATION “Companies can no longer ignore social tools, nor the ways that their employees use them to share and access information. These new technologies can be used to create business value, share information, engage employees—and even create dialogue with customers and prospects.” - W. Edward Vesely, Chief Marketing Officer, SilkRoad EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Organizations are engaged in a complex balancing act concerning social media, as they weigh the competitive advantages while juggling issues of law, policy, and employee access. The impact of social media on business agility, the proliferation of innovative social applications for industry, and the bright spotlight on worker productivity and social technology are just a few of the vital considerations for...

Words: 3835 - Pages: 16

Premium Essay

Impact of Social Media on the Workplace

...Research Report Impact of Social Media on the Workplace By Abdul Asif 300817244 Rajdeep Kaur 300816572 Divyeshkumar Patel 300823773 Surya Chandu Sanaka 300831648 Sai Sravani Velaga 300829096 Submitted to: Prof. Phillip Alalibo GNED 219-071 Winter 2015 1. Introduction of Topic and Clarification of Research Statement “Our research topic is - The Impact of Social Media on the workplace and our research statement states that Social Media have a significant and positive impact on the workplace.” Social media is turning into an inevitable part of our society. It serves as medium to globally link people together, regardless of their physical location. Generally, people are using social media for various reasons, such as to share information, to get in touch with their loved ones, and to look for business colleagues...

Words: 2892 - Pages: 12

Free Essay

Policy and Procedure

...Effective Date: March 2, 2015 Affected Employers: All full-time and part-time U.S. employees Purpose: • Social Networking: The use of dedicated websites and applications to interact with other users, or to find people with similar interests to oneself. o Examples include using sites to post images, communicating with other people through the Internet, or participate in online games. • Social Media: Websites and applications that enable users to create and shard content or to participate in social networking. o Examples include LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, or Twitter. • Although social media can produce many advantages, much research has concluded that it has negative effects on productivity in the workplace. It has been stated that policies within companies should be implemented to avoid these negative effects. • The goal of this policy is to implement a new code regarding the use of social media to limit social networking on computers, smart phones and tablets within the Pfizer workplace. Policy and Procedure: Social Media In the Workplace Pfizer Inc. Department Of Human Resources 235 East 42nd Street NY, NY 10017 1-212-733-2323 Policy: • Pfizer employees must refrain from the use of any social media networks on devices (such as smart phones, tablets, or computers) during the hours one is working at Pfizer. • All full-time and part-time U.S. employees are responsible for complying with this new policy...

Words: 777 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Management

...Introduction In this era of technology and information explosion, social media has become a part of our lives, almost everyone have their own Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and Blogs account. Nowadays social media is becoming increasingly popular; a survey (SilkRoad Technologies, 2012) shows 75% of employees logged social media while at work at least once a day, with 60% accessing multiple times. The report also pointed out that most of companies have not develop clear guidelines and policy for using social media in workplace, only less than 10 % offering social media training to their staffs. The workplace should not prohibit the use of social media sites? Some people said it should be but some ones said should not. Each has their own justifications, it is benevolent see benevolence and the wise see wisdom. Whether employers permit or not, to develop a set of the company’s social media policy is a must. Although, Singapore Airlines (SIA) have guidelines stating that all employees must not posted confidential business information or tweeted about a colleague, but the rule is usually not strongly enforced. Social media is not easy to manage in the workplace, based on historical experience cyber bullying, harassment, discrimination and victimization are constantly recurring in between colleagues, similar incidents have also occurred in the Singapore Airlines (SIA). Therefore, in order to design an effective social media policy of the organization, first must consider and resolve a number...

Words: 2779 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

Challenges to Implementing Policies in the Workplace

...Policies in the Workplace with regards to Social Media Introduction There are many benefits that social media has brought and continues to bring to the corporate world but there are also many drawbacks that organizations face due to the risks from its use. I believe that it can be proactively managed for organizations to protect its reputation while providing its employees with the proper tools to manage their own personal and business manners with regards to social media. The intent of this report is to demonstrate the challenges to implementing new policies in the workplace with regards to social media. Policies Policies are principles, rules, regulations, guidelines, and/or laws that are adopted by organizations to assist them in reaching their long-term goals. They are designed to influence and determine all major decisions and actions that are expected in the workplace. They state what is to be done, who is to do it, how it is to be done and for whom it is to be done. Company policies are important because they define the company’s responsibilities and duties, to both its staff and its clients. These policies are also in place to define the company’s expectations and standards. Many policies are used to illustrate the company’s compliance with certain laws and regulations. Most companies have polices and procedures already in place, they mainly choose only necessary policies that ensure a safe, organized and nondiscriminatory work place. Well-written workplace policies: ...

Words: 2136 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Exploring Negative Effects of Social Media in Work Places

...Exploring Negative effects of social media in work places Muriithi, Mary Watetu A research term paper in econometrics submitted to Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture & Technology in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the PHD degree in Business Administration Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture &Technology 2014 DECLARATION This report is my original work and has not been submitted or presented for examination in any other university, either in part or as a whole. Supervisor – …………………………………. Signature………………………….. Date……………………………………… Name: MURIITHI, MARY WATETU Signature………………………. Date: ……………………………… Table of contents I. Title……………………………………………………………………. 1 II. Declaration ……………………………………………………………. 2 III. Table of Contents……………………………………………………… 3 IV. List of Tables…………………………………………………………… 4 V. Symbols and Abbreviations…………………………………………… 5 IV Abstract…………..…………………………………………………. 6 1. Introduction…………………………………………………………….. 8 1. Background…………………………………………………….. 8 2. Statement Of The Problem……………………………………… 8 3. Purpose of the study………………………………………...…… 8 4. Specific Objectives……………………………………………… 8 5. Research Questions……………………………………………… 8 6. Justification Of The Study……………………………………… 8 7. Limitations of the study………………………………………… 11 2. Literature review…………………………………………………… ….. 12 1. Conceptual framework……………………………………….. 14 3. Methodology…………………………………………………………….. 15 ...

Words: 3487 - Pages: 14

Free Essay

Should Organizations Allow Social Media in the Work Place?

...Running head: SHOULD ORGANIZATIONS ALLOW SOCIAL MEDIA IN THE WORK PLACE? Should Organizations Allow Social Media in the Work Place? Following the American Psychological Association’s Guidelines Abstract The growth of social media is astonishing. Organizations question if to allow social media in the workplace. The paper contains information beneficial to an organization when making the decision to allow social media in the work place. Topics included are social policies and procedures, benefits, risks, legal impacts, media interpretation, legal cases and methods of improvement. The information is intended to convey that it is beneficial to allow social media in the workplace if only a well written social media policy exist. Should Organizations allow Social Media in the Work Place? Social media continues to grow. The rapid growth has Organizations facing a decision whether to allow the use of social media in the workplace. Social media today is widely popular due to its advancements in collaboration and communication which can benefit business. In order to make a decision such as allowing social media in the work place it is important for an organization to be knowledgeable about the following information: * Social Policies and Procedures * Benefits and Risk * The legal impacts to the organization * How to minimize the risks but maximizing the market * How media interpret the impact * Recent legal cases and outcomes * Methods of improvement...

Words: 1470 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Social Networking in the Workplace

...Social networks have become the lifeline of communication for a working person across the world. They have become a new trend in the workplace and they continue to grow, from analyzing potential employees' profiles to promoting a business and encouraging interaction between employees. They are the platform that people share with friends and family to catch up on what is happening in each other’s life. People have little time to actually connect in the real world that makes social networks especially important. Social network sites are web-based services that allow individuals to construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, speak about a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system. The nature and organization of these connections may vary from site to site. What makes social network sites unique is not that they allow individuals to meet strangers, but rather that they enable users to say and make visible their social networks. While Social Networking Services have implemented a wide variety of technical features, their backbone consists of visible profiles that display a clear list of Friends who are also users of the system. The public display of connections is a crucial component of Social Networking Services. Beyond profiles, friends, Social Networking Services vary greatly in their features and user base. Some have photo sharing or video-sharing capabilities;...

Words: 2003 - Pages: 9

Free Essay

Social Media

...In the recent years the popularity of social media has soared, while these technologies present great opportunities for employees, they also have the potential of legal pitfalls. With all the various advances in technology it is making it easier for people to transport and afford computers and tablets, coupled with the propagation of social media it is rapidly changing the way people communicate. People are afforded the opportunity and means to communicate with their family, friends and even strangers, which until recently were not available. New social media predominantly Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn have revolutionized not only the way people communicate but also how business is conducted. Employers are now using social media as a way of recruiting and marketing. Due to the large number of users to these social networking sites, it makes it easier and more attractive for recruiters to find a possible source of hire. According to Mello (2012), as of December 2011 Facebook had over 80 million users where half of whom logged on to the site daily and the other half logged on using their mobile device. In the United States alone, there are over 20 million users to Facebook which is two thirds of the user population (New York Times, 2012). According to Social Network and Employment Law (2012), the volume of communication continues to expand for Twitter with over 30 million participants to their site; the article goes on to state that LinkedIn has over 30 million...

Words: 821 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Online Business Viability

...business model. Viability ClearPath Testing, Inc. (ClearPath) will assist employers in maintaining a drug-free workplace. Employers are constantly concerned about the productivity of their employees. Employers are starting to realize that substance abuse in the workplace affects the bottom line of the organization. ClearPath will provide employers with drug testing services either at the ClearPath site or at the employer’s location with their mobility services by use of the online scheduler accessible on the website. Additionally, ClearPath will provide drug testing supplies that employers can purchase online in order to test their employees. Along with the purchase of any drug testing product, ClearPath will provide the appropriate personnel with online training that certifies an individual in the appropriate collection of a drug test sample. ClearPath will also offer online assistance with the complete development of an Employer’s Drug-Free Workplace Program. The development of a Drug-Free Workplace Program will allow employers to take advantage of many discounts offered by health insurance and workers compensation carriers. Statistics show that “Nearly 75 percent of all adult illicit drug users are employed – substance abusing employees are more likely to change jobs frequently, be late or absent from work, be less productive employees, be involved in workplace accident, or file a worker’s compensation claim” (National Institute of Drug Abuse, 2008). Employers have...

Words: 1876 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Social Media Survey

...2013/14 Survey Social Media in the Workplace Around the World 3.0 Proskauer Rose LLP | Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome | Attorney Advertising About Our Survey We are proud to present Proskauer’s third annual global survey about social media use in the workplace. As in previous years, in addition to our survey results, in collaboration with select law firms across the world, we have included a brief summary of the law from around the world, including significant recent developments. Please note that the information provided in this survey is not intended to be, and shall not be construed to be, the provision of legal advice or an offer to provide legal services, nor does it necessarily reflect the opinions of the firm, our lawyers or our clients. No client-lawyer relationship between you and the firm is or may be created by your access to or use of this survey or any information contained in it. Proskauer Rose LLP (Proskauer) is not obligated to provide updates on the information presented herein. © Proskauer Rose LLP. All Rights Reserved. Social Media in the Workplace Around the World 3.0 When we published our first survey in 2011, there was a sense of novelty and even mystery about social media usage in the workplace. There was a strong perception that social media and business did not mix. The art of harnessing social media for business lacked the sophistication and prominence that it now has. Today, business use of social media is mainstream. This shift from...

Words: 8815 - Pages: 36

Premium Essay

Effects of Social Networking

...SETA survey of representatives in Tribunal cases 2008 t Research Paper Workplaces and Social Networking The Implications for Employment Relations ns Ref: 11/11 2000 1 0 Andrea Broughton, Tom Higgins, Ben Hicks and Annette Cox (The Institute for Employment Studies) For any further information on this study, or other aspects of the Acas Research and Evaluation programme, please telephone 020 7210 3673 or email research@acas.org.uk Acas research publications can be found at www.acas.org.uk/researchpapers ISBN 978-1-908370-07-5 Workplaces and Social Networking The Implications for Employment Relations Andrea Broughton Tom Higgins Ben Hicks Annette Cox Prepared for Acas by: Institute for Employment Studies Sovereign House Church Street Brighton BN1 1UJ UK T: 01273 763400 F: 01273 763401 www.employment-studies.co.uk Copyright © 2009 Acas The Institute for Employment Studies The Institute for Employment Studies is an independent, apolitical, international centre of research and consultancy in public employment policy and organisational human resource issues. It works closely with employers in the manufacturing, service and public sectors, government departments, agencies, and professional and employee bodies. For 40 years the Institute has been a focus of knowledge and practical experience in employment and training policy, the operation of labour markets, and human resource planning and development. IES is a not-for-profit organisation which has over...

Words: 16924 - Pages: 68

Free Essay

Social Media Policies: Are They Legal

...Case Study Week 2: Social Media Polices: Are They Legal? Keisha Rivera DeVry University MGMT 410 Professor Miller Case Study Week 2: Social Media Policies: Are They Legal? The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is part of the United States government. It is an independent agency that is in charge of holding elections to represent the labor union, and also investigates and remedies the unfair labor practices (National Labors Relations Board, n.d.). Many companies have policies set into play regarding the restriction of social media usage while on company property. Many organizations are afraid that if an employee is utilizing social media accounts while at work that they may be posting negative comments about the organization. This will give the company a bad name. NLRB Facebook Firing An employee fro a Connecticut company had posted certain negative comments about a supervisor on their personal Facebook account. The employee was fired after posting about her supervisor, calling him a “scumbag”. Under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), employees are allowed to criticize the company as well as the leaders on social media. “Employers that set social media policies that prohibit or attempt to prohibit such activity can be in violation” (Northway, 2011, para. 6). Decision I agree with the decision of the NLRB to pursue this case. The company was clearly in the wrong by firing the employee for the remarks she made on her personal Facebook account. She...

Words: 889 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Nurse

...and procedures. It establishes organizational ethics by which employees are requested to follow. This includes the professional conduct required of health professionals in the use of social media in the workplace. According to Brent (2011), "Social networking is the main source of communicating in today's society" (para. 1). Mobile communications, E-mail, Texting, and the use of Facebook and Twitter has set record breaking rates above any other form of communications in recent years (Badzek, 1998). Social networking empowers both the consumer and the health care provider. The use of the Internet plays an important role in finding health information, which allow the patient to become better informed concerning personal health, and more educated in decision-making. Health care providers also benefit by conducting real-time meetings online to discuss the most challenging cases, and to devise solutions to improve therapeutic regimens of patients. Health care providers are driven by professional connections and timely communications with patients, families, and other health care providers. Social networking is the media by which health care providers use for a range of professional purposes, primarily to educate patients or to foster provider-patient relationships, which is impressive. Although social networking has tremendous benefits to the consumer and provider, it comes with strong concerns, and confidentiality, and patient privacy issues top the list (Modahl, 2011). In...

Words: 1322 - Pages: 6