Social Media Policies

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Social Media Policies Social media has immensely evolved in how many companies and employers do business in recent years. It has helped many companies grow and expand by usage of social media by mass and instant communication and advertising through this technology. Like anything, there is a side effect. The social media "downfall” is the subject of employees bashing their employer's reputation in regards of employee’s communication via social media about their employers. With such controversy, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has had to step in to distinguish what is considered lawful of unlawful termination due to these actions by employees and their employers. The question to ask if such an issue should arise is to determine if it is concerted activity or not. This will help the NLRB determine if proper disciplinary procedures have been taken. According to Belicove (2012) in article, NLRB Slams Costco On Social Media Usage Policy: What It Means For your Business, “A ruling by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in a case involving Costco earlier this month makes it clear that employers who want to avoid labor disputes would be well served to schedule a sit-down with their legal counsel and take a close look at their existing social media use policies." In this particular case the NLRB disagrees with Costco Wholesale Corp's employee policies in regards to the use of internet and social media usage and limitations by its employees. After complaints made by over 300 employees the NLRB has finally stepped in siding that Costco is in violation of the National Labor Relations Act. "The three-person NLRB panel deemed that the third largest retailer in the U.S. has employee policies in place that are “too br... ... middle of paper ... ...employees may have any issue with this protocol, I would be willing to hear what they have to say and hopefully add some of their insight along with mine. References Belicove, M. (2012) NLRB Slams Costco On Social Media Use Policy: What It Means For Your Business Retrieved May 18, 2014, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/mikalbelicove/2012/09/28/nlrb-slams-costco-on-social-media-use-policy-what-it-means-for-your-business/ Dessler, G., (2013): Human resource management, 13th ed., Prentice Hall NLRB.gov. (n.d.). Protected Concerted Activity. Retrieved May 17, 2014, from http://nlrb.gov/rights-we-protect/protected-concerted-activity Smith, A (2012). NLRB: Costco Policy Against Defamatory Statements Violated NLRA - Retrieved May 18, 2014, from http://www.shrm.org/legalissues/federalresources/pages/nlrb-defamatory-statements.aspx#sthash.beWh4Yvj.dpuf

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