The use of social media in the workplace is dramatically changing how we
go about business, bringing both significant opportunities as well as potential
threats.
Without adequate safeguards, the contacts made by employees on social networking platforms, such as LinkedIn, could be retained by the employee and used to the detriment of the previous employer.
There are a number of actions that your business should definitely
consider to help safeguard itself against potential loss and damage, in terms
of client relationships, confidential information and intellectual property:
- ensure your contracts of
employment include the most thorough protection possible;
- introduce policies and procedures that cover the
use of information in a social media context and set rules around how
employees can and cannot use social media to network with customers and
prospective customers;
- matters to address with new
employees on commencement of the employment relationship, so that the
expectations in relation to the use of, and rights associated with, social
media contacts both during and after employment are clearly set out; and
- how other measures (such as
paying for "premium accounts" on LinkedIn) can demonstrate
professional networks created in the course of employment as distinct from
social networks that may fall outside the bounds of employment and remain
unprotected.
