10-13_ARENA_SUMMER2015.qxd_Arena_A5 20/05/2015 11:29 Page 2 • SOCIAL MEDIA • KNOW YOUR RIGHTS • SOCIAL MEDIA • KNOW YOUR Warning: Don’t be anti-social! legal services arena talks to head of cial media… Louise Curtis about so Think first! Lessons to be learned Q Q Members are still getting into trouble with social media, why? Members don’t always understand social media and the effect it can have on their job and career. Privacy settings aren’t always fully understood or as secure as you might think. There is nothing to stop a friend passing your comments on to others who you may not want to see them. Members say – that was just for my friends – but they forget their friends could be their manager or colleagues and if these posts are critical of the company or colleagues, or racist, sexist or homophobic then they’ll be in trouble. It’s worth remembering we’re all ambassadors for our company in one way or another. Have employees adjusted their behaviour to avoid social media perils? Some people have learned their lesson and adjusted their settings. Many know not to post offensive material however, it’s clear many are still posting potentially career-ending comments. We get many cases where members have been dismissed for misuse of social media and often there is nothing we can do to help because we know it would be deemed as a fair dismissal under current law. Training courses Q Are employers doing enough to educate their workforce? Many do but some don’t. Social media is relatively new but it’s changing at a fast pace. We now have Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and more. Employers could run refresher courses or re-circulate their updated policy to existing staff to remind employees of the dos and don’ts. Obviously new staff should be left in no uncertain terms of the company’s social media policy and the dangers of offensive posts. Employees often sign the policy document but don’t fully understand it and the implications of it. They should read it carefully and ask questions if necessary.