Sample Essay On Social Media In The Workplace

In today’s world, almost everyone can afford a digital device that among other things can be used for Social Medias either at home or work. The portability of these devices has changed various aspects in the human interactions. Some of the benefits are positive while others are negative. Some employers feel that the use of Social Medias is bad in the workplace, while others view it as a powerful business tool that can revolutionize the way people communicate among themselves, and with their superiors in the workplace. Due to these views, some companies have restricted the use of Social Media in their premises while others have not.
According to the national labor laws, the privacy of the employees ought to be guaranteed at all times. Employees have the public and the private life and the boundary between the two need be well demarcated. The motivating factor behind monitoring activities of the employees may point out its necessity. In workplace, the laws require that each employee takes responsibility for all happenings and follow the regulations of the employer in so far as the employee agreed to follow them. Nevertheless, there might be an extent that one can consider as detrimental to the employee especially if one stop following what the employees do use the working machines to private machines such as mobile phones and private computers. Although this might be a slippery idea since the Social Medias are the same on whatever platforms, the employer ought to not go beyond work-related ethics, and principles of monitoring the employees. There are many reasons that necessitate the tracking of employees in Social Medias.
First, most employees may tend to overuse Social Media during working hours that leads to low productivity. Therefore, one can argue that it is the responsibility of the employer to ensure that the productivity of the workers remains high. If an employee is caught using the Social Media, and engaging unnecessary chats during working hours, such employee may face the disciplinary actions provided. If the employee challenges such disciplinary measures in the court, the employer will have concrete evidence to defend the actions of the firm.
Secondly, some employee may be engaging in some in trading business that may be benefiting the firm’s competitors. The content one post on Social Media concerning their working environment is used by the competitors to their advantage. If a firm fails to track and warn or at least stop such employees, the company may end up making huge losses. In the same case, employees may be engaging in some unethical activities within the workplace. One can trace such via Social Media tracking. There is no legal ground that stops an employer from tracking the activities of the employees especially during working hours and on matters that concerns the company or firm. Even though employees have a right to communicate among themselves, and even discuss their working environment, it is unethical for the employees to make such discussion public especially information that is unauthorized. As noted earlier, such may be used by the competing firms. The rights of the employees to participate in concerted activities is allowed, but only if the done on the right platforms that may include online discussion boards. The challenge is who is authorized to engage in such activities among the unionized employees. All these does not stop the employer from tracking employees.
In conclusion, therefore, with all factors considered, the employers have the right to track Social Media activities of the employees but limit such matters to work-related aspects such as conduct and ethics, and desist from too many personal details that may reduce the trust of the employees to their superiors.