Social Media Policy

Does Your Organization Have One?

Mismanaged business records and ediscovery

Social
Media
Risks - A
Business
Perspecti
ve

Workplace lawsuits
Regulatory audits and fines
Security breaches
Lost productivity
Brands and financial institutions bashed
credibility, accountholders and revenue
loss
Career setbacks and employee
terminations
Professional and personal humiliation
Media scrutiny and PR nightmares

Social Web Imperils Businesses &

Brands
Blog
weekly
about their
organizatio
ns.

50
%

Blog
attacks
sponsored
competitors
.

50
%

Worry about what

employees will

Fear losing
control of
corporate
message.

22%

22%

Case
Casein
in Point
Point

Following Dallas
Mavericks-San
Antonio Spurs
game, radio host
fired for
tweeting:
Congrats to all
the dirty
Mexicans in San
Antonio.

Virgin Atlantic
fired 13 crew
members for
using Facebook
to post jokes
about faulty
engines,
cockroachinfested planes,
and passengers.

Canadian grocery
chain Farm Boy
fired 6
employees for
creating
Facebook gripe
site, I Got Farm
Boyd. Mocked
consumers and
verbally
assaulted staff.

Microsoft
employee fired
for posting photo
of Apple
computers at
Microsoft loading
dock.

Deltas Queen of
the Sky fired for
suggestive
photos in flight
attendant
uniform.

Avoid Negative PR & Branding with Social

Media Compliance Management
+Establish
Social
Media
Policy and
Related
Policies

+Educate
Employees
About
Risks and
Policies

+Enforce
Policies
with
Discipline
and
Technology

The 3E
approach:

3-Step Formula
for Framing Social Media Policies
#1. PreWriting:

Conduct
Policy
Audit

#2. Writing:

Create
Effective
Policies

#3. PostWriting:

Manage
Policy
Complianc
e

Six Rules for Effective Policy Writing

Use Written Policy to
Define Key Concepts and
Terms. Dont assume
employees understand terms
like confidential, intellectual
property, private consumer
data, GLBA, business record,
eyes-only, attorney-client
privilege, off-the-record, etc.

Write in Plain English.

Minimize risks and maximize
compliance by writing policies
that employees actually are
likely to read, understand and
adhere to. Focus on the
reader, not yourself.

Be Accurate. Research laws

and regulations. Present
accurate, reliable, trustworthy
info and rules. Use proper
grammar, punctuation and
style. Compliance rides on
policy, so get it right!

Be Brief. Write and distribute

separate, brief policies
covering every technology,
situation, or behavior you
want to manage through
written rules. Example: create
4 separate policies for social
media, mobile devices, email
and web.

Be Clear. Present material in

a clear and compelling
manner. Make it easy for
employees to read policy
from beginning to end, then
take the desired action:
comply with organizational,
legal and regulatory rules.

Proofread for Clarity,

Consistency, Accuracy and
Readability.

Implementing Your Policies

Communicate organizational, legal and regulatory rules to all
employeesfull-time, part-time, execs, board members,
independent contractors, consultants, agents, etc. You may be held
liable for anyone who acts on behalf ofor to benefityour
organization.
Employers cant escape vicarious liability simply by labeling workers
independent contractors. Courts look beyond labels and consider
degree of control employers hold over workers.
Provide all employees with clear understanding of what constitutes
appropriate, acceptable, lawful business behavior.
Policiessupported by training and technologyhelp demonstrate
due diligence.
Courts, regulators, employees, applicants, consumers, media,
community leaders and decision-makers realize you are fully
committed to operating civil, compliant, correct business
environment.

All organizations need social media, mobile device and other epolicies.
Audit business and personal useat the office, at home or on
the road.

Go
Beyond
Collecti
ng
Feedba
ck

Conduc
t Policy
Audits

Are current policies well-written?

Are current laws and regulatory guidelines addressed?

Clear and effective communication.

Whats your policy-distribution method?

Based on audit, update or create new policies addressing 2016
risks, rules, regulations.

Internal social
media (business
sites, systems,
accounts).

And
Finall
y
Mobile devices:
personal and
financial institutionowned.

Monito
r Social
Media

Base monitoring
decisions on legal,
regulatory, business,
ethical and corporate
culture considerations.
Review:

Personal passwordprotected social

sites and accounts
(Facebook).

Public social media

(Twitter, YouTube).

For organizational training on social media

risks and policies, visit
www.complianceonline.com.

Thank You