You're living in a culture that is very much online: from posting your holiday pictures on Facebook to communicating with family over Skype. It would be impractical to try to run a business without giving your staff access to the internet, particularly those working in a public relations or marketing function.

This gives rise to concerns that staff aren’t focussing fully on their work, and that hundreds of man hours a year are lost. Restricting access to social media completely isn’t the answer, as people can still access websites via their smartphones.

So how can you ensure that your staff members are being responsible online?

Be Open to Social Media
Having a no tolerance policy will encourage staff to rebel. Instead, encourage them to engage with and use social media, but in a responsible manner: before 9am, during lunch hour, and after 5:30pm is a good guideline. Your staff will feel that they have gained your trust and respect, and are unlikely to want to do anything to counteract this.

Have a Social Media Policy
Setting some ground rules around social media is essential; however, whether you are a small or large organisation. Have your human resources team draft a social media policy. This doesn’t have to be a large document; one page will suffice. Be sure to include your rules around social media access times, things they shouldn’t do during business hours (play Farmville, or get into heated online arguments), and whether they should use a disclaimer on their social media profiles (all beliefs are my own and not my employer’s).

Don’t be Draconian
Remind your staff that they have their own broadband packages at home, where they can be free to say and do what they want. If they’re using your business tools, they must abide by your business rules. If they say something outside of business hours that you’re not happy with, reiterate the importance of privacy settings on social networks but don’t punish them for something they did in their own free time.

Install Content Filters
While social media sites are fast becoming an essential part of day to day work, there are some websites that will never be acceptable: gambling, pornography, and illegal downloading websites should certainly be blocked by your content filters. Some content filters allow you to block access to certain websites during certain hours: so if you want to make sure your staff members are sticking to the policy, you can block Facebook during core business hours.

Use Their Skills to Your Advantage
Remember: a recent study showed that staff who use social media at work are more productive than those who don’t take a break. If you have people in your business that are persistent Tweeters, why not allow them to take charge of the corporate Twitter feed? Vocal members of staff can be your best brand ambassadors, so instead of shelling out for a specialist Social Media Marketer, utilise the skills you already have in your loyal team.

Fiona Roy writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.