Employee blogging, like the use of the internet itself, is only likely
to grow. Many employers are taking proactive steps to protect
themselves from harmful or embarrassing blogs by adopting an agency
blogging policy. The blogging policies of many large technology
policies can be found on the internet and you could modify those
policies based on the culture and needs of your agency. Such a policy,
at a minimum, should contain the following provisions:
- Clarification of whether blogging may be done on agency time or with the use of agency computers.
- Bloggers must comply with all of the agency’s policies and
agreements, including any on ethics, code of conduct, confidentiality
and discrimination/harassment. - Bloggers are personally and legally responsible for the contents of
their blogs. Blogs are individual, not agency communications, and
employees must not represent or imply that they are expressing the
opinion of the agency. - Never disclose any confidential or proprietary information concerning the agency or its customers or clients.
- Act professional towards yourself, your coworkers and your agency.
Do not put anything on your blog that will embarrass, insult, demean or
damage the reputation of the agency, its services, customers or
clients, or any of its employees.