Twittering Your Time Away

Twitter, like all developments in electronic communication, has its good points and its bad.¬† Twitter began as a social networking site that is simple to operate and fast: 140 character blogs are sent by email, text or instant messaging and received by ‘followers’ who have signed up.¬† But it is also becoming used by knowledge sharing communities (eg twitter.com/CIPD).

Inevitably it has an impact on working life as staff connect with colleagues.  While this may reduce traffic on company email systems, or reduce phone bills, it must also be treated with as much caution as personal emails on company computers or in work time.

Company Policies should cover the issues that may arise from use of twitter sites, along with monitoring email and internet usage to comply with confidentiality, electronic security and anti-harassment procedures.  Monitoring use via mobile phones is more difficult, and employers may also need to check that twittering is not reducing efficiency or productivity.

Texts and instant messages fall within the scope of a ‘document’ for UK court disclosure and IT Policies should be clear that electronic usage of all types may be monitored,¬†that employees are bound by the company’s security policy and dignity at work policy during any use of external internet sites, and they should have no expectation of privacy.