Social Media Policy

This Social Media Policy template is for businesses to use to put in place a policy with their employees that regulates how the employees should use the business’s social media accounts.

Why put a Social Media Policy in place?

Protecting your online presence is very important nowadays. However, staff do not always know what to do and what to avoid.

Putting in place such a policy makes sure that your staff know what they can and cannot do when representing the business via its social media channels. It is important to also train your employees in how to use and not use social media when representing the business. This can help avoid some embarrassing and damaging faux pas by your business.

A good policy also needs to make it clear that employees should not be using social media for private purposes during work hours. While there are well-known studies on the impacts of social media, other recent studies have highlighted the time wasted by staff:

• on keeping up-to-date with personal social media accounts during work-time, and
• the consequent cost to the business and loss of productivity.

Using Our Template

The policy template is downloaded in Word format and can then be edited to your specific requirements. It comes with detailed guidance notes to make completing the document simple. It will take you less than fifteen minutes to read the guide and complete the document.

If you have any queries on how or when to use this template or difficulties in completing it, you can contact us on our free helpline or by email.

Implementing a Social Media Policy

When implementing the policy it is critical that all staff understand the policy and exactly how they are to represent the business on social media, if at all. We recommend that, on completing the policy, you:

• email it to all staff, and
• request confirmation they have read it.

You should also train your staff in what it means. This means you should ensure that:

• they have read it,
• are aware of it and
• more importantly, understand it.

If you already have a Staff Handbook, then you can add this social media policy to your staff handbook.

Other HR Handbook documentation

We have a full range of HR policies for you. If you need individual policies, you can just buy the ones that you really you need. Alternatively, you can buy the full HR Handbook at a significant discount on the price of buying them all individually. Click here for full details.