Acas warns against 'knee jerk reactions' as first social media guide published

The guide, which Acas says is the first in the UK, is aimed at helping businesses, staff and trade unions agree how to handle employment issues related to the internet, blogs and social media websites such as Twitter and Facebook.

Almost six out of ten employees now use social media at work whether on computers or mobile phones, according to Acas figures. This can lead to problems with staff members wasting work time on personal web pages, posting derogatory comments about managers and colleagues or buying and selling online.

Misuse of the internet and social media by employees is estimated to cost the UK economy up to £14billion a year, according to the guidance.

However the guide warns against "knee jerk reactions" and urges employers to consider the "moral intensity" of any offensive content published before proceeding with disciplinary action.

Acas recommends that employers consult staff and trade unions before publishing their own policies, and should also make the consequences of breaching any policy clear in employment contracts.

It stresses that the employer, staff and unions agree to protect employees' freedom of speech and so that staff and managers feel protected against online bullying and damage to the company's reputation.

It also urges employers to keep the policy up to date to reflect the speed of change in the technology and its uses.

John Taylor, Acas chief executive, stressed that employees' conduct online should be subject to the same standards as their conduct in the workplace.

"Employees should assume that everything they say on the internet could be made public, and should think whether they want their colleagues or boss to read it. They might not mean it, but what they post could end up being seen by billions of people worldwide," he said.

However he stressed that any monitoring of online activity should be proportionate. "A manager wouldn't follow an employee down the pub to check on what he or she said to friends about their day at work. Just because they can do something like this online doesn't mean they should," he said.

The guide also warns employers about the risks of searching for information about potential employees online and using any personal information found during the recruitment process.

Managers risk being sued for discrimination "if they refuse to interview someone as a result of a judgement they made based on a social networking profile", it says.

"We are seeing an increase in cases that involve social media, for example the posting of comments about work colleagues or clients of a business or time being spent on Facebook when an employee is meant to be working," said Morag Hutchison, an expert in employment law at Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law.com. "These issues are not new but, as the use of social media increases, so does the risk."

"However engaging employees in an organisation's use of social media can also be a positive step – more and more business is being conducted through social media sites such as LinkedIn and Twitter so it is often to the organisation's advantage if their staff are actively utilising these platforms," she said.