Does your company have a recommendation policy for social media sites?

Many employers have a policy in place that deals with the kind of professional recommendations or references that employees are allowed to give for co-workers, vendors or former colleagues. But are you aware of the recommendations and references your employees are giving each other, your products and even your company on social media sites?

Professional social media sites like LinkedIn make it easy for those who use the site to post recommendations on the profile pages of their colleagues and vendors. The question is, could any of these online unsanctioned references cause your company any legal troubles down the line? Are you sure all employees are following Federal Trace Commission guidelines on the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising? For instance, are they disclosing their affiliation with a company while endorsing its products? If they’re endorsing a product or company anonymously, you could be liable for their misstep in not following the FTC’s guidelines. 

Employers should consider taking several steps to avoid such troubles. Employers should amend their written social media policies or reference policies to address unauthorized employee recommendations and references on social media sites. This might include the banning of such recommendations and references, although such stringent rules might be counterproductive to those who are asked to promote their business through social media outlets. Whatever you decide, make sure the new policy is distributed to every employee and spelled out so they know exactly what is and is not acceptable.

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