For the purpose of this paper, the contemporary issue of choice is the increased use of social media in the workplace. Technological advancement has made it possible for employees of an organization to easily access their social media platforms such as Facebook and twitter. Currently, most companies have accepted and appreciated social media as a necessity in connecting people. Although initially this vice was banned, the same is not the case today. Many companies have adopted the practice, the extent to which they use such media to advertise their products and services (Zhong, 2016). Through platforms such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, these companies have found a platform to share and connect with their customers.
Despite the above, several legal challenges arise. The main challenge is that the employees may end up using their social media platforms in a manner that is negative and against the ethos of the organization in question. For instance, several negative comments may be addressed towards the organization in question because of a wrong post by one employee. There is no doubt that managers and employers would gladly welcome the idea of the employees marketing the organization in social media (4 Big Issues Affecting Tomorrow's Workplace, n.d). Whenever negative comments arise, however, there is a legal dilemma as to whether the employer can hold the employee in question accountable. This is also the case because from the legal perspective, the employer has no right to control what the employee posts on their social media platforms. Such an issue has resulted in negative relations between employees and employers, despite there being no remedy.
How this will influence employee productivity in an organization
Healthy employee relations in an organization play a significant role in shaping productivity. Simply put, the way employees relate in an organization has a direct impact on how they work. A human resource manager should do everything to ensure that employees are kept happy. Relations between employees, and those between employees and the employer ought to be positive. When this is the case, there is no doubt that productivity will be enhanced
The legal dilemma in the workplace that is presented by the use of social media may end up having a negative impact. This is more so the case if the employee’s social media use elicits negative comments from the public about the company in question. Most likely, the employer will warn or reprimand the employee. Despite this, they do not have any legal authority to do this. Such a conflict is likely to bring about negative relations, hence creating an unhealthy relationship in an organization. There is no doubt that this will have a negative impact on the productivity of the organization
Explaining the impact of this issue from the perspective of a Human Resource Management Executive
There is no doubt that a human resource manager has the interests of an organization at heart. These managers are also tasked to ensure that employees are exposed to favorable conditions and environment so as to boost their productivity (4 Big Issues Affecting Tomorrow's Workplace, n.d). This brings about two competing elements: giving employees their freedom in order to boost their productivity, and regulating how the employees use their social media platforms in order to protect the image of the organization.
Because of the conflicting positions, a human resource manager will be called upon to make a decision on which of the two they will sacrifice. Naturally, limiting the usage of social media ought to be sacrificed. This is because the image of the organization ought to be protected. Without this being the case, employees will not be in a position to attract many customers and clients. Nevertheless, it is a challenge that many human resource managers do not wish to encounter.
How relevant legislation affects this issue in the place of work
Currently, there is no legislation that supports organizations in restricting employees from using social media. In fact, the only relevant legislation is the First Amendment, which talks about freedom of speech. Employees can confine their actions within this legislation and argue that they have the right of expression and speech. In addition, the Labor Act protects employees from discrimination on their views (Zhong, 2016). It would be wrong for an employer to sack an employee because they have expressed their views in social media. If this is the case, an employee can rightly bring an action against the employer, citing wrongful dismissal. Organizations can only be protected by the internal rules of the organizations. Because of this, it would be crucial if these organizations set internal rules to restrict the manner that the employees use social media.
Ethical ramifications of this issue on HRM practices in the workplace
This issue has a number of ethical ramifications in the workplace. There is no doubt that the use of social media in the workplace is a divisive issue. If used positively, the organization and its management stands to benefit, hence encourage it. However, if wrongly used, there will be a negative impact and consequence as the two parties will be in disputes. This makes it difficult for the organization to choose the correct stand on this issue.
References
4 Big Issues Affecting Tomorrow's Workplace. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/7930-4-big-issues-affecting-tomorrow-s-workplace.html
Zhong, B. (2016). Research on Social Media Use. Impact of Social Media on Communication and Business, 329-1160. doi:10.4018/978-1-4666-9518-4.les1
