Employee Social Media Policy: What to Include and Why
What an employee social media policy should cover, legal considerations, how to make it usable and how to encourage positive sharing.
On this page
An employee social media policy sets out how staff should use social media when it relates to the business: what they can share about work, how to handle confidential information, how to respond to customers online and what to do if something goes wrong. A good policy protects the business without silencing employees, and encourages staff to share positively about their work where they want to. A bad policy is either missing entirely or so restrictive that nobody reads or follows it.
Why a policy matters
Employees’ online activity can affect the business in several ways: accidentally sharing confidential information, posting content that customers find offensive, responding to complaints in an unhelpful way, or making claims about products that the business cannot support. Clear guidance reduces these risks.
A policy also enables positive activity. Many employees would happily share company news, job openings or their work, but are unsure what is allowed. See our guide to employee advocacy.
What to include
Purpose and scope
Explain why the policy exists and who it covers, such as employees, contractors and interns. Clarify that it applies to official business accounts and to personal accounts where content relates to the business.
Official accounts
Who is authorised to post on behalf of the business, approval processes, account security and password management. See our guide on approval workflows.
Confidentiality
What must never be shared: client information, unreleased products, financial data, internal communications, personal data about colleagues or customers. Include examples, such as photos that accidentally show screens, documents or whiteboards.
Identifying yourself
When employees discuss the business or industry on personal accounts, they should make clear that views are their own. For endorsements of products, disclosure rules may apply; the US FTC’s endorsement guides, for example, expect employees to disclose their connection when promoting their employer’s products.
Respectful conduct
Expectations around harassment, discrimination and treatment of colleagues and customers online, linked to existing workplace conduct policies.
Responding to customers and the media
Staff should not respond to complaints, reviews or media enquiries on the business’s behalf unless authorised. Instead, they should pass them to the right person.
Regulated industries
Healthcare, financial services, legal and other regulated businesses need specific guidance on what staff can say about services, clients or advice.
Reporting concerns
How to report a problematic post, a security issue or a potential crisis, and who to contact.
Consequences
Explain how breaches will be handled, consistent with your disciplinary procedures.
Legal considerations
Social media policies must comply with employment law. In the US, the National Labor Relations Board has found that overly broad policies can unlawfully restrict employees’ rights to discuss wages and working conditions, even in non-unionised workplaces. Other countries have their own employee rights and data protection considerations. Have the policy reviewed by an employment lawyer or HR professional in your jurisdiction. This article is general information, not legal advice.
Making the policy usable
- Write in plain language, with real examples of what is and is not acceptable.
- Keep it short enough to read in a few minutes.
- Include it in onboarding and review it annually.
- Provide a quick reference guide or one-page summary.
- Give staff a named person to ask when unsure.
Encouraging positive participation
A policy should not only list prohibitions. Explain what employees are welcome to share, such as public company news, job openings, events and their own professional achievements, and provide easy-to-share content if you want their help amplifying the brand.
Protecting the business without silencing your team
A clear, fair social media policy reduces risk and gives employees confidence to talk about their work. It works best alongside training, a simple approval process for official accounts and a plan for handling problems.
If you are setting up or professionalising your company’s social media, our social media management service can help put guidelines, workflows and account management in place.