Avitus Group Releases Workplace Social Media Policy Guide for Colorado & U.S. Employers; Warns Employers to Think Twice Before Hiring or Firing for Social Media Behavior
Denver, Colorado (PRWEB) August 11, 2015 -- Avitus Group is releasing a Workplace Social Media Policy Best Practices Guide to Colorado and all United States businesses. The online guide highlights the top 8 best practices when it comes to social media policy in the workplace. It cautions employers on the legal dangers of firing an employee for social media behavior without fully understanding the law. The guide also directs businesses to follow federal and state laws and uses Colorado as an example.
The federal law is The National Labor Relations Act, which is enforced by the National Labor Relations Board. It protects the rights of employees to act together to address conditions at work, with or without a union. This protection extends to certain work-related conversations conducted on social media, such as Facebook and Twitter. State laws can be more specific, such as Colorado's Social Media and the Workplace Law.
Effective May 11, 2013, the Colorado Social Media and the Workplace Law (§ 8-2-127, C.R.S.) prevents employers from accessing employees’ and job applicants’ personal social media accounts.
"This really started to become an issue starting in 2010, and employers were truly looking for guidance in these uncharted waters. We now have that guidance issued by the NLRB general counsel, however, not all employers are aware of the law and unjustly fire or discipline employees for social media behavior. This ends up costing the employer. Avitus Group always makes sure our clients are in compliance with the law," says Dawn Wilson, PHR, a Human Resource and Risk Management Consultant in Avitus Group’s Denver office.
According to the National Labor Relations Board's website, social media behavior cases started coming in in 2010, and the board issued its first decision in 2012. Board decisions are significant as they establish precedent. The board issued dozens of memos in 2011 prior to its first decision, starting to give employers guidance in this area. The memos and decisions can be found on the NLRB's website.
Avitus Group's Workplace Social Media Policy Best Practices Guide is available to all U.S. businesses. Avitus Group is a worldwide company with offices in Denver, Colorado. Avitus Group helps other companies with administrative hassles. When businesses use Avitus Group, all of the necessary, yet burdensome functions of the business become Avitus Group's responsibility, so the business can focus on what they do best, grow and increase profits. Avitus Group serves clients nationwide through 10 regional office locations from California to Florida. The company also serves international clients through partner locations in Europe, Canada, China, England, India, Japan and Singapore.
Dianne Parker, Avitus Group, http://avitusgroup.com/, +1 8004542446 Ext: 2070, [email protected]
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