The acting general counsel of the National Labor Relations Board has issued several reports in just the past year highlighting the importance of drafting social media policies to avoid trampling on worker rights. As companies rush to implement policies directed at curbing employee use of social media, the guidances from the NLRB should be heeded.
The most recent NLRB memorandum can be found at http://www.nlrb.gov/publications/operations-management-memos. Of particular interest is the inclusion of the full text of a social media policy developed by an internationally recognized retailer that is used as an example of the right way to draft a policy. With the guidances provided by the NLRB and now the provision of a full example policy, businesses can be far more confident in drafting appropriate policies. This information clears up many previously unanswered questions. Companies that disregard this valuable direction from the NLRB do so at their peril.