pccyfs 2012 annual spring conference the ethical use of social networking presented by: brian block

PCCYFS 2012 Annual Spring Conference

The Ethical Use of Social The Ethical Use of Social NetworkingNetworking

Presented By:Brian Block

PCCYFS 2012 Annual Spring

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Social Networking in the Workplace: the Good, the Bad, The Ugly


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“Instantaneous photographs and newspaper enterprise have invaded the sacred precincts of private and domestic life; and numerous mechanical devices have made good the prediction that “what is whispered in the closet shall be proclaimed from the house-tops.” To satisfy prurient taste, the most intimate details of life are spread in the columns of the daily papers.”

Guess My Age?


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• Define social networking

• Identify positives and negatives about its workplace role

• Apply ethical principles for use

Learning Objectives


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What Is Social Media?

…IT IS WEB2.0…

SOCIAL MEDIA IS A COMBINATION OF HUMAN INTERACTION THROUGH WEB

APPLICATIONS WHERE PEOPLE PRODUCE THEIR OWN CONTENT, MOLD THEIR OWN EXPERIENCE, AND DEFINE THEIR ON-LINE

PRESENCE.

…AND INCLUDES BLOGS, FORUMS, SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES, WIKIS AND

VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES…


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The Benefits of Social Networking Tools

• Expand Market Research

• Personal Touch• Improve Your

Reputation• Communicate With A

Larger Audience• Communicate In A Non-

Traditional Fashion• Low-Cost Marketing


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Potential Benefits Of Social Networking Tools

• Prevents overloaded e-mail inboxes

• Allows more open communication filtered by relevance– Leads to enhanced information

discovery, knowledge

• Allows employees to answer, search previously answered questions


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Potential Benefits of Social Networking Tools

• Allows employees to: – discuss ideas– post news– ask questions – easily share links

• Organizations can tap into knowledgeable resources


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Common Organizational Mistakes

• Failure to implement usage policies with clear guidelines

• Employees may be scared or confused about how to use new applications and tools

• Employees may be too comfortable with use

• Old habits die hard; new habits become a panacea.


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The Concerns

• Productivity• Resources• Viruses and Malware• Social Engineering• Reputation and Legal Liability


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Top Company Fears

• Loss of productivity (65.7%)

• Lack of security (45.7%)

• Posting inappropriate content (42.9%)

Source: Enterprise adoption of Web 2.0 technologies, by Awareness, Inc.

http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/report_businesses_social_media_usage.php


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Fearing Loss of Productivity

“Employees who use the internet for personal reasons at work are 9% more productive than those who don’t .”

•“Workplace Internet leisure browsing, or WILB, helps sharpen workers' concentration.”

•"People need to zone out for a bit to get back their concentration.”

Source: University of Melbourne study http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE5313G220090402


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Fearing Loss of Productivity

• "Short and unobtrusive breaks, such as a quick surf of the Internet, enables the mind to reset itself, leading to a higher total net concentration for a days' work, and as a result, increased productivity."

• Social media tools can be a highly advanced and efficient communication option.

Source: University of Melbourne study http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE5313G220090402


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Lack of Security

• Viruses through social media applications are becoming more common, but standard online security prevention practices can mitigate these risks.


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Lack of Security

• Remind employees not to click on suspicious looking links or messages that seem like spam

• Keep antivirus software, operating system/browser security patches, etc. up to date

• Check security messages http://www.facebook.com/security


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Fearing Inappropriate Content• Company stats:

– 17 % of companies disciplined an employee for violating blog or message board policies.

– Nearly 9% reported terminating an employee for such a violation (both increases from 2008, 11% and 6%, respectively).

Source: Proof Point survey http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Proofpoint-Inc-1027877.html

Source: Deloitte LLP 2009 Ethics & Workplace Survey http://www.deloitte.com/dtt/cda/doc/content/us_2009_ethics_workplace_survey_150509.pdf


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Fearing Inappropriate Content

Companies:–15% have disciplined employees for violating multimedia sharing/posting policies in the past year

–8% terminated employees for these violations

–Only 17% monitor and mitigate potential reputational risks from social networks


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Company Use of Social Media

• 69% allow use– Up from 37% in 2007

• 63% - build, promote their brand• 61% - improve communication,

collaboration • 58% - increase consumer engagement• Robert Half Technology said 46% allow

access to social networking sites


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Social Media Endorsements

"Organizations, from the top-down, must be open to recognizing that there are better ways of doing things. Twitter and other social media have benefits to internal communications that haven't been explored. In fact, some of them

surpass e-mail in efficiency and ease of communication…We are evolving.

Going from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 is kind of like going from radio to color TV; it's

a quantum leap.“

Steve Prentice, Industrial Psychologist


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Social Media Endorsements

“These (Social Media) tools are proving valuable in areas such as recruitment, public affairs, and quality of life for our military personnel, as well as sharing

information with allies, coalition partners and military families.“

William Lynn, US Deputy Secretary of Defense


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Another Factor: Digital Natives

• Millennial (Gen Y) 1981-2000

• Also labeled the “Internet” generation • Most tech-savvy generation to date • Value cutting-edge technology


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Legal And HR Issues

• Business and Legal Risks Created by Employees Themselves Through Their Use of Social Media

• Legal Risks Stemming From Employer’s Decision to Fire Employees or to Take Other Adverse Action Due To The Employees’ Use or Misuse of Social Media


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Legal And HR Issues

• Offending Consumers and The Public• Disclosure of Private Consumer

Information• Creating or Inflaming Conflicts With Co-

Workers• Defamation• Intellectual Property Infringement• Violations of Other Workplace Policies• Privacy-Related Torts


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Legal And HR Issues

• Doctrine of Vicarious Liability– Negligent Training– Negligent Supervision– Cell phones with cameras and

camcorders


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Questions Under Debate

• Should a therapist review the Web site of a client or conduct an online search without client's consent?

• Should child welfare professionals put personal details about themselves on a blog or Web site or join Facebook or other social networks?

• • What are the risks that clients and social

service professionals interact online?


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Some Believed Facts… To Date

• Social networking sites are not all created equal

• Privacy is a concept which should be inherently foreign to social network sites

• Employers (and potential employers) sometimes do see (and are entitled to see) what’s on social networking sites

• The law has not kept fully at pace with the implications of widespread social networking


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Some Believed Facts… To Date

• HIPAA violations online are not different than those in the elevator or grocery store

• Most HIPAA violations are inadvertent• Social media is a place for sharing; not a

place for secrets• It is dangerous to friend consumers• Remember what you communicate

online may be accessible to others (HIPAA violation!)


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And In Conclusion

“After extensive conversions, I have reached one less-than-revolutionary conclusion: Many largely unanswered questions remain about social networking in the workplace.”

Posted on 23 November 2009


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Moral Dilemma?

Having a dual relationship with a consumer – that is , a financial, social, or professional relationship in addition to the “therapeutic” relationship – can

lead to serious ethical issues and potentially impair professional

judgment. We need professional boundaries to do our job well.

Dr. Katherine Chretian, writing in JAMA


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Ethics

• A set of principles, protocols, professional responsibilities and accountabilities defining the parameters of high quality care.

• The rules of recognized conduct• Involves choosing right from wrong or

making the “moral” choice• Is driven by “do no harm”• And is associated with the tenants of

performance improvement: “do the right thing and do the right thing well”

…and


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Ethics

Ethics frequently, if not always, involves choosing between two or more “right” answers or possible directions


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Ethical Professional Behavior

Social Networking

in Child Welfare


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How to Mitigate Risk

“The same way it can keep employees from doing stupid things on e-mail & the phone. Give them guidelines and resources. Have an online communications policy that follows standard communications policies and trust them to do the right thing.”

Scott Monty, Ford Motor Company


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How to Mitigate Risk

• Teach employees to be brand ambassadors

• Business conduct policy should cover employee use on social media sites – if not, update it

• If employees are to blog, create specific guidelines

• Sample guidelines– http://www.intel.com/sites/sitewide/en_US/

social-media.htm– http://www.ibm.com/blogs/zz/en/

guidelines.html– http://jaffeassociates.com/uploads/

userfiles/file/Social.pdf


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Important

Neither the American Psychiatric Association nor the American Psychological Association has rules specifically governing therapists' online behavior, but ethics advisers with the psychiatric association maintain that online searches are not wrong -- as long as they are done in the patient's interest and not out of therapist curiosity.


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Important

“Social workers shall strive to become and remain knowledgeable about the dynamics of online relationships, the advantages and drawbacks of non-face-to-face interactions, and the ways in which technology-based social work practices can be safely and appropriately conducted.”

NASW and ASWB, 2005


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Opinion

• Benjamin, 53, directs psychiatric training at University of Massachusetts:

– He advocates caution when it comes to mixing the Internet with therapy.

– Searching a patient's name online could dilute the therapeutic process.

– If patients ask, read their blogs during a regular counseling session.


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Opinion

• Suena Massey, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at George Washington University Medical Center, says Googling a patient is a valuable professional tool.

– "One of the duties of a psychiatrist is to corroborate what patients say."

– “Online searches are helpful when traditional approaches -- obtaining the patient's consent to contact his previous psychiatrist or family members -- are not available.”


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So What About It?

To social network or not to social network: Is that the question?


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Recommendations• Make thoughtful decisions

about who: – You accept on your friends’ list – Is granted access to your

personal information

• Consider restricting your online profile to: – Private or friend-only access– Pseudonym


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Recommendations

• Whatever you share online can be available to many – Once out there, it can’t be taken back

• Consider online relationships similar to in-person ones with clients and former clients


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Recommendations• Don’t overlook impact of online

relationships on professional life.

• Never access personal client information without permission.

• Assure clients understand impact of online disclosures on psychotherapy relationship.

• Use NASW Ethics Code, consult with colleagues to guide decision making.

• Create social networking policy; share with clients who ask and follow it carefully.


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3 Organizational Options

• Ban access to social networking sites and/or the Internet.

• Set limits, restrictions on use. • Allow unmonitored access.


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Basic Safeguards

• Up to date anti-virus software• Firewall • Monitor Internet use in general • Monitor social networking sites in

particular


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Striking a Balance• Restrict access

• Educate and train staff

• Set security and use policies

• Do you need insurance?


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Cyber Liability

Liability = Damage Occurs To A 3rd Party•Breach By You (PHI)•Breach By Others - Vendor Breach (PHI)•Social Media Use By Employee•Social Media Use By Consumers•Business Attack, Crisis Management, Business Interruption


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And A Little Bit About Consumers• Should You Allow Staff To Friend

Youth/Consumers? • Should Youth in Care Friend Other

Consumers?• Cyber Bullying and Online Predation

Including Grooming Is Real. Are Cyber Threats Real?

• Remember Online Communities Are Not Private

• Can Social Networking Relieve Social Awkwardness?


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And A Little Bit About Consumers

• Do Personalities Change By Using Social Networking?

• Does Social Networking Minimize The Value of Interpersonal Interaction

• Does Social Networking Increase The Conflict Between Generations?

• Handling Confrontation by Estranged Family/Parents?

• Should You Suggest Use of A Pseudonym?


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And A Little Bit About Consumers

• Should You Deactivate or Whitewash Social Networking Accounts?

• As of March 2011, 207 Social Networking Sites Exist

• How Much Supervision Should You Provide• What Counseling Will You Give Your

Consumers About the Use of Social Media?• Therapeutic Boundaries Must Be Maintained• If You Allow Use Do The Sites Comply With

The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act


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…Did You Know?...

Common Sense Media, ConnectSafely, WiredSafely, Childnet International, and the Family Online Safety Institute have accepted an invitation from Facebook to participate on a board to develop Facebook’s policy on kids and safety


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A Parting Summary

• Address ALL publicly accessible communications made via the internet

• Develop and hold to a single overall corporate attitude toward social networking

• Clearly state and enforce the company’s policy concerning access to certain social network sites while at work

• State whether employees are allowed to identify themselves as representatives of the company on social network sites


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A Parting Summary• Make it clear the employees are not to

reference any client, customer, or business partner without express permission to do so

• Make it clear how employees may communicate with clients via social networking sites

• Prohibit postings that contain defamatory, harassing or discriminatory language

• Require that personal blogs have disclaimers that the views expressed are those held by the author alone

• Prohibit the use of company logos and trademarks without written consent

PCCYFS 2012 Annual Spring Conference

Questions?Questions?Thank you for your attention and

participation!

pccyfs 2012 annual spring conference the ethical use of social networking presented by: brian block

Documents

annual spring conference

ugly slide

social networking sites

social media

legal liability slide

virtual communities

brian block slide

tools employees