Goodbye job applications, hello dream career
Seize control of your career and design the future you deserve with LW career

The social media risks of Xmas

user iconLawyers Weekly 01 December 2011 NewLaw

Employers must be wary of the risks that social media present to a company's brand and reputation - especially during the Christmas party season. According to People and Culture Strategies…

Employers must be wary of the risks that social media present to a company's brand and reputation - especially during the Christmas party season.

According to People and Culture Strategies managing principal Joydeep Hor, employees are often unaware of the extent to which their interactions on social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, can damage a business's brand, whether it is at work, at a staff Christmas event, or even in their own time, including after parties.

"Employers must realise that the biggest reputational risks social media presents their businesses are not associated with 'where' or 'how' employees interact," said Hor. "Rather, it is who they're sharing those interactions with."

Hor pointed to employees uploading photos of their interactions with other staff to social media applications such as Facebook and Twitter.

"Twitter, for example, offers significant reputational risk for employers as anything you post can be 'retweeted' by another user, allowing things to become widely known and to get out of hand very quickly," he said.

According to Hor, corporate brand damage arising from social media is most commonly associated with disparaging comments, photos, videos or blogs published by an employee, or the disclosure of confidential information.

"Employers should take a proactive approach to social media by not only implementing policies and training, but by ensuring that inappropriate use of social media by employees does not go unaddressed," he said.

You need to be a member to post comments. Become a member for free today!