Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

Monitoring Employee Social Media Activity

By Heather Sherrod
May 02, 2015

Last year, the Pew Center released its demographic data on social media usage. The data revealed that ' regardless of age, race, sex, education or income ' nearly 75% of all adults in the United States who use the Internet use social media. See, “Social Media Update 2014.” It is therefore foreseeable that employers would want to regulate and monitor their employees' on- and off-duty social media usage. The time is ripe to examine the pros, cons and pitfalls of monitoring employee social media postings from a legal perspective.

Pitfalls of Monitoring

Because social media is a relatively new trend, with pervasive use occurring only within the last 15 years, the full range of legal implications for monitoring employee social media posts is far from clear. A few potential legal risks, however, have already developed. For example, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has taken a special interest in employer social media regulation. The Board has determined that in many instances the regulation of employees' social media use may chill the exercise of employees' Section 7 rights in violation of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). By way of background, Section 7 of the NLRA grants employees in unionized and non-unionized workplaces “the right to self-organization, to form, join, or assist labor organizations, to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing, and to engage in other concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection,” as well as the right “to refrain from any or all such activities.”

This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
Major Differences In UK, U.S. Copyright Laws Image

This article highlights how copyright law in the United Kingdom differs from U.S. copyright law, and points out differences that may be crucial to entertainment and media businesses familiar with U.S law that are interested in operating in the United Kingdom or under UK law. The article also briefly addresses contrasts in UK and U.S. trademark law.

The Article 8 Opt In Image

The Article 8 opt-in election adds an additional layer of complexity to the already labyrinthine rules governing perfection of security interests under the UCC. A lender that is unaware of the nuances created by the opt in (may find its security interest vulnerable to being primed by another party that has taken steps to perfect in a superior manner under the circumstances.

Strategy vs. Tactics: Two Sides of a Difficult Coin Image

With each successive large-scale cyber attack, it is slowly becoming clear that ransomware attacks are targeting the critical infrastructure of the most powerful country on the planet. Understanding the strategy, and tactics of our opponents, as well as the strategy and the tactics we implement as a response are vital to victory.

Legal Possession: What Does It Mean? Image

Possession of real property is a matter of physical fact. Having the right or legal entitlement to possession is not "possession," possession is "the fact of having or holding property in one's power." That power means having physical dominion and control over the property.

Removing Restrictive Covenants In New York Image

In Rockwell v. Despart, the New York Supreme Court, Third Department, recently revisited a recurring question: When may a landowner seek judicial removal of a covenant restricting use of her land?