Navigating Social Media Legal Risks: Safeguarding Your Business

4. Monitoring, Regulating, and Disciplining Employees Using Social Media

Social media has been aptly described as a double-edged sword for employers. Despite the obvious work-related benefits, employee use of social media is not without considerable risk. Employees can inadvertently disclose sensitive company information or trade secrets (for example, posting to Facebook about a pending business deal, launch and release dates, or contemplated reorganizations); post wrong or improper company information on social media sites, and thereby dilute the company’s control over its own brand and content; send inappropriate messages of a romantic or sexual nature to co-workers, subjecting the employer to a discrimination or harassment lawsuit; compromise ...