Employer anti-blogging policy Oracle Tips by Burleson Consulting

 

All employers need a strict corporate policy preventing employees from publishing during work hours, especially on blogs.  This article by Alfred C. Frawley notes that allowing employees to blog during work hours can expose the company to liability for a host of civil torts:

 

http://business.mainetoday.com/yourbusiness/051230frawley.shtml

 

“Established case law suggests an employer can be liable for even unauthorized publication of allegations by an employee when that publication occurred in performance of an employee's authorized acts”

 

Frawley also note that company policies must be very strict regarding blogging, and those companies that allow employees to blog do so at their own peril:

 

“The fact that the employee chose an improper method of performing his job does not shield the employer from liability and certainly this logic can be applied to blogs where the employer has encouraged legitimate discussion of reliable businesses.”

 

Finally, Frawley notes that blogs intensify the risk of liability for any company:

 

“Blogs also may intensify the risk of liability for defamation, copyright and trademark infringement, disclosure of trade secrets or private customer information or other business torts. Even comments posted to a blog by unrelated third parties may rise to claims of corporate liability.”