November 5, 2010 Building a Social Media Policy to Limit Liability

Social media is quickly evolving into a mainstream way of communication. As Sharlyn Lauby stated, "companies are realizing that people are talking about them whether they like it or not." Many are responding by cultivating their own social media presence. But having a social media presence leads to a host of questions - should we have a formal policy? Who should it cover? What should it say? It seems as though there are two schools of thought when it comes to social media policies. Some organizations feel more comfortable establishing a formal policy right from the beginning. Their social media presence essentially begins with the policy. Others argue for an evolutionary approach. They see a benefit in looking at the risks and opportunities by experimenting with social media before instituting a formal policy.

In this installment, we talk about social media and social media policies with Dena Calo. Ms. Calo is an attorney in the Newark, New Jersey office of Genova Burns & Giantomasi. She is the Director of the firm's Human Resource Practices Group, and provides employment law counseling and training to organizations.