Recent headlines have thrown a spotlight on how personal views shared online can overlap with expectations around workplace conduct. Even where employees are posting in a personal capacity, the line between professional and private conduct can quickly blur.
Recent headlines serve as a useful reminder to ensure that standards of respect, inclusion and appropriate behaviour, both in person and online, are crystal clear.
Here are a few practical steps you should be thinking about:
Communicate – policies only work if employees know about them. Include social media and conduct reminders in inductions, training, and regular updates. Your ED&I policies shouldn’t be gathering dust either.
Training – don’t assume common sense is commonplace, especially when it comes to dignity and respect! Reinforce policies with regular training and refreshers (at least once a year) so everyone is on the same page with your expectations. Book a demo of our anti-harassment eLearning suite.
Review – is your social media policy up to scratch? Do employees understand the consequences if their online behaviour breaches your values or harms your reputation? If not, it’s time for a review and redraft.
Consistency – act consistently if issues arise. If conduct online or offline doesn’t meet your standards, take action (and make sure it’s in line with your policy and past practice). Mixed messages can do more damage than no message at all.
We’ve got a host of solutions to support you with everything covered in this update – get in touch if you’d like to find out more.
This update is accurate on the date it was published but may be subject to change which may or may not be notified to you. This update is not to be taken as advice and you should seek advice if anything contained within affects you or your business.
