Social media – particularly web-based social networking sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn – is more popular than ever. The widespread nature of social media brings a host of new workplace issues, both positive and negative. On the good side, social media offers new and often affordable marketing opportunities. Social media also facilitates networking, recruiting, professional connections and allows businesses to stay connected to customers in new ways. On the bad side, social media can present some thorny workplace issues. This chapter addresses some of those issues and provides practical advice about what employers can and cannot do with respect to social media in the hiring, supervision, discipline and firing of employees.
Given the popularity of social media, employers increasingly are turning to social networking websites and information on public websites as a way to gain information about prospective and current employees. Having access to information on publicly available websites and social networking sites presents some obvious potential benefits to employers. Accessing this type of information, however, also presents some dangers that may be less obvious.
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