The Employment and Benefits team at William Fry launched its first annual employment report focusing on the use of social media in the workplace on 6 May 2013.
There have been many reports on social media in the workplace internationally but the Irish workplace has not been extensively reviewed. We commissioned a survey to gain insight into how social media is being used in the Irish workplace. The survey was conducted with 200 Irish-based companies, both domestic and international, and 500 employees.
Focusing on a number of issues arising from the use of social media in the workplace, our survey indicates that over 46% of Irish companies do not have a social media policy in place, leaving themselves and their business open to internal disputes, abuse and potential litigation.
Perhaps most surprising of all, the results of the survey indicate that, on average, employees spend 56 minutes per working day on social media sites. Although 40% of companies impose bans on employees accessing sites such as Facebook and Twitter, our research indicates that the majority of employees access social media from their personal devices during work hours. Accordingly, there is limited value in imposing absolute restrictions. Instead, companies should focus on defining realistic limits for access to social media in the workplace.
The report also highlights the confusion surrounding ownership of social media accounts and the contacts on those accounts. The most significant challenge presented by this area is what happens to work-related contacts, valuable assets of the employer, when an employee leaves the company. The research shows that only 17% of companies have discussed with their employees the position regarding work-related social media connections when employment ends. As the economy recovers and movement within the job market increases, such issues will arise more frequently.
A staggering 73% of companies are not concerned that confidential business information may be posted on social media sites by employees.
Social media is an increasingly important part of the personal lives of employees and of business life and it is here to stay. Employers should consider the issues social media raises in their workplace and regulate its use and application. Key to this is to have a comprehensive, tailored social media policy in place and to ensure that employees read and understand it.
Contributed by Catherine O’Flynn.
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