 |
| Portions of GM's social media policy were called out by the National Labor Relations Board. |
The National Labor Relations Board, the government body that tracks unfair practices in employer-employee relations, just may change the face of brands' social media policies.
The New York Times reported on Jan. 21 that the NLRB has targeted the policies of companies like Target, General Motors and Costco, stating that specific stipulations in their social media rulebooks are unlawful.
For example, GM's rule that "offensive, demeaning, abusive or inappropriate remarks are as out of place online as the are offline" was cited as unlawful. The NLRB's explanation: "This provision proscribes a broad spectrum of communications that would include protected criticisms of the employer's labor policies or treatment of employees."
Costco was called out on a social media policy rule stating that online posts that "damage the company, defame any individual or damage any person's reputation" could lead to termination of employment.
The NLRB argued that employees could be inhibited by this rule in talking about "valid topics," which include complaints about staff treatment.
Why the government scrutiny? "Many view social media as the new water cooler," Mark G Pearce, chairman of the National Labor Relations Board, told the Times. "All we're doing is applying traditional rules to a new technology."
The board's actions should prod organizations into taking a much closer look at their social media policies.
Follow Scott Van Camp: @svancamp01