In our recent employment law seminar, we discussed how to manage employees who are authorized to post on the company’s social media accounts. Here are some key points to focus on when allowing employees access to your company’s social media accounts.

• Employers must clearly identify which employees or departments are authorized to post on company social media accounts.
• Companies should identify a manager who is tasked with monitoring authorized activity on the company’s social media accounts and who has the authority to approve all postings.
• Social media policies should follow the company’s purpose of using social media accounts, whether it is to market products and services, advertise jobs, announce breaking news, respond to negative publicity or otherwise interact with the public.
• The authorized use policy should include prohibitions of infringing on third-party property rights, whether by copyrights, trademarks or plagiarism, and prohibit defaming employees, clients, vendors or competitors.
• Make sure the policy clearly outlines how the company may discipline employees for violations of the authorized user policy.
• Ensure employees are properly trained on the authorized use policy because employers cannot always trust that every employee is going to read the policy.
• Require the designated employees sign an authorized user agreement, housed in either a standalone document or with other confidentiality or trade secrets agreements.
• Ensure the agreement safeguards the interests of the company and establishes that the company owns the social media accounts.