How clear is your business’ social media policy?

A Warwickshire law firm has seen the controversy around Gary Lineker’s Twitter activity put social media policies front and centre.

Lodders, a premier law firm with offices in Stratford upon Avon, Cheltenham, Henley in Arden, and Birmingham, offers expert legal advice across a range of legal services including private client, business law, real estate, and family law.

Damian Kelly, Head of Lodders’ Employment Law team, identifies some key considerations surrounding businesses’ social media policies.

The dispute between Gary Lineker and the BBC around his social media activity this year highlighted the need for a clear social media policy to avoid ambiguity and the importance of extending a social media policy to anyone who represents the brand and the business – employees, contractors, and freelancers.

In September, the BBC updated its social media guidelines to include a strengthened “Lineker” clause, which states that individuals are not allowed to endorse or attack a political party, or criticise the character of individual politicians, but are free to express opinions about issues that matter to them.

Who does your social media policy cover?

You may be tempted to think that if a social media policy is in place, it will automatically be clear who it applies to, and people will understand how it impacts them. However, this is a risky approach.

If your business uses freelancers, contractors and other third parties, then it may be best to ensure they are aware of, and adhere to, your social media policy, to help protect your brand. Bear in mind that as much as social media can enhance brand awareness, it can be equally powerful when it comes to damaging brands too.

This does not mean that social media is something to steer clear of, but rather that it is a useful tool when used correctly. What does the policy extend to?

As social media platforms are integrated into everyday life for lots of people, it is likely that many of your staff will already have personal social media channels.

By extending their social media policy to personal social media accounts too, employers ensure that staff can be held accountable for their actions if, for example, they said something derogatory about your business on one of their channels. All staff should be made aware of exactly what this means for them. How will you ensure staff understand your social media policy?

The best way to make sure that all staff are made aware of your social media policy (other than sharing it with them, of course) is to provide training for all employees – and contractors, if the policy extends to them too. This will minimise the chances of a dispute. Should a dispute arise around their use of social media, offering adequate training will also mean that staff are less likely to be able to claim that they were not aware of how the policy affected them.

For more advice visit: www.lodders.co.uk