We are all used to social media these days. In fact it is so ingrained in our lives that we often don’t even realize that we are not just having another conversation with our friends at the coffee table. We share things about our day, show funny stories from other people and “like” things that make us laugh. Technology has been so intertwined with our daily programs that most may not even know that what they are posting is going against any policies in place.

We all believe when we post onto our own social media accounts that only the people connected to us can see what we have posted. That is true for the most part and when we start with social media we are often cautious of what we put on the site. That changes over time and as we get comfortable we start to post more often and on other pages. This is where it is possible to cross a line and possibly put your job in jeopardy.

Many companies have social media programs to get their name out to the world. It is often advised that the company have a social media policy in place so that employees and contractors of the company know what is acceptable for posting on the websites or platforms. Once you post something to an internet site, it is there forever and even if deleted it may have already been shared or viewed. Posting something bad about your company may just be putting a problem in place that you didn’t realize. There was a story in the past about a contract person that was handling social media for a large car manufacturer. The contract person decided to write his opinion about a topic going on at the time that the company felt was inappropriate. He was fired due to what he posted on the website.

So if the company you work for is on social media it is important that you understand what your company social media policy says in regards to conduct and posting on company social media platforms. You may be surprised to find that many policies include restrictions on what you are allowed to post on your own personal social media platforms as well. This is meant to stop abuse and messages that can compromise the companies name or market share. If you don’t know what the policy says then it is in your best interest to not post anything on a company platform until you know what it says. It may just save your job!

About the Author

Bruce Outridge has been in the transportation industry for over 30 years and is author of the books Driven to Drive and Running by the Mile. Challenger Motor Freight Inc. is one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies (platinum member) and is looking for quality team members. To learn more about opportunities with Challenger visit their website at www.challenger.com