Social Media in the Workplace | GBE&W

From: Staffing

Social Media in the Workplace | GBE&W

Social Media in the Workplace

Merriam-Webster defines social media as forms of electronic communication (such as websites for social networking and microblogging) through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content (such as videos). According to a 2016 study conducted by several universities:

  • There are approximately 1.32 billion monthly active users of Facebook.
  • An estimated 86 percent of job seekers have a social network profile.
  • One in six job seekers found their last job through an online social network.
  • Fifty-four percent of social media users have used Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter in their job search in the last year.

Additionally, socially networked Americans from ages 18 – 64 spend an average of 3.2 hours per day using social media. Subsequently, the use of social media in the workplace is unquestionable as some studies have shown that Facebook reduces workplace productivity by 1.5 percent. However, social media use by employees can allow businesses to harness social capital through connectivity. The positive and negative impact of social media in the workplace necessitates distinct and specific policies and practices for its use.

Best Practices

A few best practices for establishing an effective records management policy include:

  • Reviewing the retention guidelines and e-discovery rules of the federal court system, relevant state court systems, and any government or industry regulatory agencies that oversee the business.
  • Establishing a written retention policy.
  • Educating users about the company’s retention policy and their respective roles, if any, in the retention and disposition of email and other ESI.
  • Establishing lifecycles for every type of record created or transmitted by the business. Clearly spell out how long records must be retained, and when and how records may be purged.
  • Assigning an attorney or compliance officer the task of establishing a litigation hold policy to ensure that relevant records are retained, and purging stops, once a lawsuit is filed or in preparation for a pending lawsuit.
  • Supporting the organization’s record retention policy and compliance program with a secure document storage, imaging, and shredding provider.