HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
(e) Address the need for back up and retention of stored mail. (f ) Set forth how any accessed information will be used. State that the information gleaned might result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal,depending on the grav- ity of the breach of policy.Employees should clearly under- stand what is beingmonitored and when this is taking place and what will be done with the resulting information.They should also be aware that systems might be audited without prior notice to employees. Employees should understand that use of company email, computer, and voicemail systems is limited to business purposes unless otherwise stated. However, to fully address the issue of overuse andmisuse of the
company PC we must first understand what keeps staff online for extended periods of time and the associated problems. It must be appreciated that communication as we know it
has changed beyond all recognition in the last number of years. Mobile-phone technology is updated every few months and computers have become a standard secondary, and in some cases primary, means of communication. It is entirely possible thatmost of today’s 18 year olds have never sent a letter by post.
SOCIAL-NETWORKING SITES
The latest internet phenomenon is social networking, with a resulting trend among the HR and business community dealing with the impact of this unregulated means of communication. Myspace and Facebook have grown since their recent incep-
tions to become huge international communications sites. These sites can have a serious impact on the way people work: instead of sitting down at a computer and immediately thinking of work, many will spend time on their social- networking site leaving messages for their friends. According to statistics, two out of three people who use
the internet every day log onto a social-networking site.The figures show that more than 934,000 people in Ireland are using social-networking sites for about five to six hours on average every month. This means that Irish people are spend- ing on average about 10 minutes a day on social-networking sites. Such a figure would equate to costing business about €500m a year. While the cost is a cause for concern, the increase in reported incidents of cyber-bullying is worrying. One employment law consultancy firmin theUKhas reported a 27pc increase in calls to its advice helpline for employers concerned about the issue over the last six months. This increase is attributed to the rise in popularity of social-networking sites and reminds employers that bullying can take place through a number of mediums. In policies for dealing with bullying, harassment and sexual harassment,provision should bemade to exclude this behaviour and indeed discipline where appropriate. Such deviant behaviour, as a result of accessing and using social-networking sites, may encourage the cautious employer to place an outright ban on such sites through the company internetmonitoring software.However,how appropriate is this action?
THE POSITIVE SIDE OF SOCIAL SITES
Despite the ominous aspect, social-networking sites have also been used as vehicles for positive causes and legitimate busi- ness reasons. Some employees argue that they use these sites for business
networking. Sites such as LinkedIn allow users to share best practice and get advice.Workersmay also use such sites to com- municate amongst themselves. Facebook allows users to name their employer and create a network of fellow employees.This may encourage staff camaraderie, but there are risks attached to employees identifying their employers and publishing offensive or derogatory remarks in what is an unregulated medium. As with all internet activity, employees should be
aware that their behaviour on social-networking sites will bemonitored closely and thatmisuse of company resources or indeed inappropriate use can lead to dis-
ciplinary action, up to and including dismissal. The particular concerns relating to social-networking sites
can be addressed by ensuring that policiesmake it clear what use of sites is permitted and when, and whether employees may identify their employer. The SFA provides advice and support to small busi-
nesses on issues such as bullying and harassment and email and internet misuse, and sample policy documents
are available for members at
www.sfa.ie. For further information call 01 6051664 or email
info@sfa.ie .
This article does not constitute legal advice and should not be taken as
such.Owner Manager urges you to obtain professional advice when dealing with legal issues.
VOL 3 ISSUE 4 2010 OWNER MANAGER 37
‘IRISHPEOPLE ARE SPENDING ONAVERAGE ABOUT 10
COSTING BUSINESSES ABOUT €500MA YEAR’
MINUTES A DAY ONSOCIAL- NETWORKING SITES. SUCHA FIGUREWOULD EQUATE TO
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