BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING … YOU 👊🏻
(Photo credit- https://www.redbubble.com/people/galaxysalvo/works/16066035-big-brother-is-watching-you?p=poster)
In a recent set of Tweets (https://twitter.com/aamirkazi60/status/1139408694653800448),
our GM Aamir Kazi, @aamirkazi60, raises some very interesting & pertinent questions on
the use of Social Media by employees of companies (for brevity I am only
reproducing an extract of some of the questions he poses) -
Quote
In a recent row of […] the
question is- does any organization has the right to spy on any employee’s
private life?
•Check on our thinking?
•Do their employees represent
organisations on their social media? What should be the criteria or standard
operating procedure while on job?
•Does any organisation has any
contract letter saying “your social media accounts & personal emails will
be checked for foul language and inappropriate content and if found guilty,
disciplinary action will be taken against you”- you may lose your job?
UNQUOTE
My layman’s [non-legal] perspective on this is as follows-
1)
Employers cannot spy on anyone (let’s
leave that to our governments 😇)!
2)
Saying that, nothing stops an employer
having a clear policy BARRING anyone from using social media, the web and
emails for personal use during office hours, unless that’s part of their job
responsibility – and appropriate, legal action against the employee if found
guilty. Why should an employee use paid,
company-time for their personal jolly, regardless of using their own devices or
company devices?
3)
Equally, no employee represents an
organization on social media, unless specifically authorized to do so…and this
is where the viewer of the posts may not know whether it is an official post or
not.
4)
If we have to check on employees’ thinking,
I think there are official psychometric tests which are normal and can be
administered to employees, as long as these are fair and across the entire
department or company- without singling out any one employee.
Employees have a responsibility towards their organizations too to
ensure their social media actions don’t inadvertently reflect back on their
company.
The starting course of action – which I believe to be morally
& legally correct - would be for companies to technologically restrict
social media & web access on company-provided devices.
How do your companies handle these phenomena?
What is a fair & reasonable policy for companies to tackle
this media channel in a growing
technology world?
(p.s.- By the way, Aamir’s tweets were personal in nature 😉😏)
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