Employer Policies

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Employer Policies

1.         Policies concerning confidentiality that particularly restrict employee discourses of conditions and terms of employment such as hours, wages, or workplace grievances or that the staff would rationally understand to restrict such discussions can be deemed illegal (Crouter and Booth 24). For instance, a policy such as ‘Do not discuss the conditions of the workplace outside of the premises’ is particularly illegal. On the other hand, a confidentiality policy that widely encompasses personnel or worker information can be seen as overboard on an ethical basis. For instance, a policy such as ‘Sharing information with co-workers, members, or persons outside the work group is sternly prohibited’ contravenes on the right to freedom of speech for employees. The same viewpoint will also be imposed on confidentiality rules that restrict an employee from organizing a strike or engaging in the formation of a union. Consequently, workers should draft the confidentiality policies narrowly in order to refer particularly to the various forms of information that are safeguarded by the respective policies, such as clientele information and trade secrets.

2.         Employer policies related to the management of social media may pose a significant effect on the activities of a front-line supervisor or a manager. Usually, the do’s and do not policies that focus on social media management tend to focus considerably on confidentiality (Flynn 78). Hence, the policies that will be set in terms of this particular concern may specifically affect the manager when it comes to writing up rules and ensuring that they are legal and do not contravene the ethical rights of the employees or affect his or her managerial obligations. For instance, a rule such as ‘Do not release information concerning other workers or contingent employees’ may facilitate the manager’s administrative activities. On the other hand, the respective rule may end up contravening the freedom of employees to hold discussions regarding the workplace while outside the office.

Works Cited

Crouter, Ann C., and Alan Booth. Work-life Policies. Washington, D.C: Urban Institute Press, 2009. Print.

Flynn, Nancy. The Social Media Handbook: Policies and Best Practices to Effectively Manage Your Organization’s Social Media Presence, Posts, and Potential Risks. San Francisco: Pfeiffer, 2012. Print.