Social media – particularly web-based social networking sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn – have exploded in popularity. Facebook alone has more than 2.96 billion active users. The popularity of such social media is not limited to college students or to the newest generation of workers. Indeed, some recent studies have concluded that adults between ages 35 and 44 are the dominant users of most social networking sites. Those statistics mean that a large number of employees are active on social networking sites whether the employer is aware of their activity or not.
The explosion of social media brings a host of new workplace opportunities and challenges. For instance, social media offers new and often affordable marketing opportunities. Social media also facilitates networking, recruiting and professional connections and allows businesses to stay connected to customers in new ways. But social media can present some thorny workplace issues with respect to hiring, supervision, discipline and firing of employees.
In looking at the use of social media in the employment context, it is helpful to start by looking at some of the basic legal limitations and duties applicable...
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