Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and other social media tools are minuscule players in the social media landscape compared to email. Email was the original social media tool and continues to be the primary identifier of choice that other social media tools use for authentication. It is also the main form of social media utilized by the majority of emergency responders. Thus when crafting a social media policy it is important that it addresses appropriate use of email in the workplace if a policy isn’t already in place.

I routinely receive emails from co-workers and administrators that contain content that is overtly political, advocates specific religious beliefs, or contains messages that many might find offensive. The number of emails I received in this category was especially high leading up to the 2008 US Presidential campaign. I can’t imagine a co-worker standing up in a staff meeting and telling all the other employees which God to worship but there seems to be no hesitation to send emails advocating specific religious beliefs while simultaneously slandering other religious beliefs.

When email is used to distribute content that is not appropriate it is an easy leap for employees to inappropriately distribute content on other social media tools. Make sure your workplace social media policy specifically addresses these email issues:

1. Ability and authorization to mail to all employees/user names. Should all employees be able to email all other employees at any time with any content they wish?

2. Forwarding messages from outside senders. The most recent email I received was about the declassification of 9/11 photos. It was forwarded by nine other people before being forwarded to me. It contained at least 100 email addresses of people that I don’t know from several different states.

3. Ability to forward messages to outside receivers. When a message contains my email address and another receiver forwards that email to their entire contact list my email address has just been shared with potentially hundreds or thousands of additional people. It also links my name and email address with the content of the message that I may or may not agree with.

4. Guidelines for appropriate message content. It seems obvious that email from an employer to employees or vice versa should be related to work only. Nonetheless, guidelines about message content may be necessary.

5. Monitor workplace email communication and give feedback as needed. If your employer gives you an email address that email is not private and it is not confidential. Your employer can (and may already) monitor all email sent by its addresses. If you would not say something in a staff meeting or a private meeting with your boss it is probably not appropriate to say in email either.

Share your thoughts on email as the top social media tool and guidelines for use in the workplace.

About the author

Greg Friese wrote 58 articles on this blog.

Greg Friese, MS, NREMT-P is an author, podcaster, blogger, and advocate for emergency response agencies to use social media before, during, and after any incident. Greg is the Director of Education for CentreLearn Solutions, LLC. He is also the co-host of the EMSEduCast podcast and is a paramedic for a 911 agency in northeast Wisconsin

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