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Showing 59 posts from 2012.

NLRB and ALJ Decisions Continue to Refine Social Media Policy Parameters

October 17, 2012
Posted In Employment Law, Internet & Media Law, National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Social Media, Social Media Policies

National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)  judgments continue to refine the parameters of the social media policies landscape, offering more insight for employers who are developing policies and procedures that attempt to protect both the company and the employees. Two recent decisions by the NLRB illuminate the legality of social media policies or policies addressing any and all electronic communications. These decisions further set expectations of what is acceptable online behavior by employees, and more clearly define what an employer can and cannot restrict in the language of the policy. More >

Social Media: The New Harassment Landscape Continued

October 12, 2012
Posted In Employee Misconduct, Employee Personnel Files, Employment Discrimination Laws, Employment Law, Human Resource Department, Internet & Media Law, Internet Defamation, Social Media, Social Media Policies, Workplace Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation

A recent government study uncovered that 23% of harassment victims were targeted through text messaging, email or other digital forms. Not so long ago, the only evidence human resources had to investigate in harassment claims were the face-to-face comments of the parties involved, making the truth sometimes difficult to determine.  With a digital trail of comments to follow, the investigation of harassment claims no longer relies on hearsay, recollection and “he said, she said” testimony, because nothing can refute written proof. More >

Social Media: The New Harassment Landscape

October 10, 2012
Posted In Communications Decency Act, Crisis Management, Employee Misconduct, Employee Performance Reviews, Employee Personnel Files, Employment Law, Internet & Media Law, Internet Defamation, Social Media, Social Media Policies, Social Networking Online Protection Act (SNOP), Workplace Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation

Social media is changing the landscape of the internal workplace, providing a new way for employees to socialize and interact with one another.  The online workplace is rooted in conversation which is casual, revealing and often deeply personal.  The direct connection of social media is akin to an invitation into your home. It allows co-workers to share in your personal life with an instant sense of closeness and propels the relationship forward quicker than a traditional office friendship. The boundaries of conduct can become easily blurred and potentially dangerous when this complicated overlapping of private and professional relationships intersect online. Whenever the parameters get ambiguous, the probability of inappropriate behavior occurring increases, creating a growing employer concern for protecting employees from the potential of social media harassment. More >

Workplace Politics: Cooling the Debates... Continued

October 5, 2012
Posted In Employee Contracts, Employee Misconduct, Employee Personnel Files, Employment Law, Workplace Politics

As discussions about the first Presidential debate swirl, we continue our discussion of politics in the workplace. More >

EMPLOYEE TERMINATIONS: A PRACTICAL CHECKLIST

October 3, 2012
Posted In Employee Contracts, Employee Misconduct, Employee Performance Reviews, Employee Personnel Files, Employment Law, Hiring and Firing, Human Resource Department

Terminating an employee is rarely, if ever, a comfortable process. Personal feelings - not to mention the concerns relative to potential legal ramifications of a termination -  often cause employers to retain an employee who should otherwise be terminated. The following guidelines include several of the most important practical tips to assist employers in the termination process and to help ensure that the employer is protected. More >

Efforts to Restrict Employer Access to Social Media Passwords Pick Up Steam

September 28, 2012
Posted In Employee Misconduct, Employment Discrimination Laws, Employment Law, Human Resource Department, Internet & Media Law, Social Media, Social Media Policies, Social Privacy Laws, Workplace Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation, Workplace Politics

Legislative efforts to prohibit employers and educational institutions from demanding social media passwords from applicants and employees picked up steam as California became the third state to pass such a law on Thursday, September 27, 2012.  California joins Maryland and Illinois as states making this prohibition law, though none of the statutes have yet to go into effect. More >

Workplace Politics: Cooling the Debates

September 26, 2012
Posted In Americans with Disabilities Act, Employee Misconduct, Employment Discrimination Laws, Employment Law, Human Resource Department, National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Workplace Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation, Workplace Politics

With the Presidential election just around the corner, employees may be talking about a lot more than gossip around the water cooler. Given the argumentative nature of politics, every employer should be listening for potentially volatile discussions, with a goal of keeping the workplace comfortable and free of hostility this election season. More >

The evolving landscape of employee text-messaging privacy issues

September 21, 2012
Posted In Employee Personnel Files, Employment Law, Wage and Hour

On Wednesday we examined employee privacy rights in the context of work and personal email use.  In much the same vein, privacy laws surrounding employee text messages are an increasingly important concern to employers. Although personal phone calls are frequently addressed in company employment policies, the greater concern in our current smartphone culture is employee text messaging. The privacy laws surrounding employers’ ability to monitor and act on employees’ use of personal text messages are not well-developed and remain relatively unsettled. More >

Are Personal Emails Private in the Workplace?

September 19, 2012
Posted In Employee Misconduct, Employment Discrimination Laws, Employment Law, Human Resource Department, Internet & Media Law, Pregnancy Discrimination Act, Social Media, Social Media Policies, Workplace Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation

Can companies monitor and read personal emails?  While this is no longer a novel question, companies continue to struggle with finding ways to protect their ability to access and monitor employees’ email activity.  A review of recent cases reminds us that while the answer is usually situational, the result almost always hinges on the strength and specificity of the company’s computer and email use policy. More >

Using Social Media to Assist With Crisis Management

September 14, 2012
Posted In Crisis Management, Employment Law, Human Resource Department, Internet & Media Law, Social Media, Social Media Policies

It is hard to imagine a business or organization that has not had to deal with some sort of crisis that impacts, or has the potential to impact, its reputation.  Social media, and the speed by which it can be used to spread information, has enormous potential to accelerate a reputational crisis.  Conversely, social media can be one of your most valuable tools when it comes to crisis management.  Your ability to manage a crisis may, however, be directly impacted by how prepared you are to utilize social media in a focused and comprehensive way when a crisis occurs. More >

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