Last week, I had the great fortune of being interviewed by the Lexblog Network – which help provide support to this blog. The interview focused on best practices for employers in engaging in social media. A few tidbits: We did this interview via Skype. If that’s not cool enough, I did so using my iPad… Continue Reading
Tag Archives: social networking
NLRB: Not All Employee Facebook Posts Deserve Protection After All
Posted in Highlight, Labor Law & NRLB, Social MediaLast fall, the NLRB made headlines when it brought a complaint against a Connecticut employer for disciplining an employee for her Facebook posts. Back then, some commentators wondered what the limits were going to be. But over the last few weeks, quietly, we’ve been getting some of the answers. Just not in the format you’re… Continue Reading
What Employers Need to Know About Google+
Posted in Highlight, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Manager & HR Pro’s Resource Center, Social MediaLong time readers of the blog may be getting a feeling of deja vu with the title of the post. After all, it was about two years ago that I wrote about Google Wave. That product was going to change the world way we communicate. (Fortunately, I didn’t make such bold predictions, other than to… Continue Reading
Is it Ever a Good Idea to Friend Subordinates or, for Teachers, Students?
Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Social MediaLately, I’ve been doing quite a few presentations on social media, including, most recently, one for a school district. One of the trickiest questions that comes up: Is it "legal" to "friend" a subordinate in the workplace? Or for teachers, is it "legal" to "friend" a student? (I use the term "friend" to be the… Continue Reading
Teaching Teachers about Social Media and Technology in the Workplace
Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Social MediaOn Friday, I’ll be speaking to a group of local high school and middle school teachers about some best practices on the use of technology in the workplace. Among the central messages of the presentation? No guideline can be a substitute for using good judgment and common sense. With teachers, that message is more important… Continue Reading
From the NEBA Conference: Of “Social” Media, Cloud Computing & The Future of the Law
Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Social MediaOver the weekend, I had the opportunity to attend and present at the 40th Annual New England Bar Association conference in Mystic, CT. Besides catching up with some of the brightest up-and-coming bar leaders (such as Jennifer Parent who will lead New Hampshire’s bar next year), the core programming focused on how lawyers and… Continue Reading
Will Facebook’s New Download Feature Change E-Discovery on Social Networks?
Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Social MediaIn my post earlier today, I noted that courts have been all over the map on whether someone’s Facebook page info was discoverable. This afternoon, Facebook announced a new feature that will allow individuals to download all of their own data onto their computers (or into a file.) According to TechCrunch: Facebook Product Manager David Recordon… Continue Reading
The “Public” vs. “Private” Facebook Page: Thorny Issues for Employers
Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Social MediaAre you scared of social media yet? That seems to be the approach of newly-minted legal "experts" telling employers to be on guard for employees who use social media with the added suggestion that you can (and perhaps should) fire anyone who says anything silly or mildly inappropriate on Facebook. If only it were that… Continue Reading
From the CBIA HR Conference: What Happens On Facebook May Not Stay on Facebook
Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Social MediaWe had a great turnout and reaction to the presentation yesterday at the CBIA Human Resources Conference in Rocky Hill. My thanks to all who sat in our packed room and the great questions that everyone asked. A few observations from the conference: The lines between work and personal activities continue to get blurred and… Continue Reading
Do You Need to Use Social Media to Provide Legal Advice on It to Employers? No, But…
Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Social MediaLast Thursday in New York City, I heard the following. Your job is to guess where I was and who said it: I’m not sure what would possess any attorney to blog, but if you do, don’t divulge confidential information or berate judges I don’t use Facebook, but I understand that one of the purposes… Continue Reading
Law & Technology Symposium: The Power of Social Media Through Donuts
Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Social MediaAt the Connecticut Bar Foundation’s Law & Technology Symposium on Friday at UConn Law School, we spent some time talking about social media and the power of social networking. Many were convinced; some were not. For employers, it’s still a scary subject. The loss of control and of messaging is just too much for many… Continue Reading
Who’s the Mayor of Your Company? What Employers Need to Know About Location-Based Networks Like Foursquare
Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Social MediaBen P. is mayor of the Hartford Insurance Group. Craig W. is mayor of The Hartford Courant. Matt T. is major of RBS in Stamford. Who’s mayor of your company? By now, I expect the vast majority of you to be thinking: "Has this guy lost his mind? You can’t be mayor of a company!"… Continue Reading
Social Media Guidelines and Policies: Do Your Employees Know the Ground Rules Too?
Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Social MediaEarly on when writing the blog, I came across an issue that was so exciting to write about that I spent an evening crafting it up. It had links, pictures, and was well-sourced. But then I discovered that the issue involved a client of the law firm. Uh-oh. It was then that I decided it… Continue Reading
Social Networking and Social Media Guidelines – Is It Time Your Company Developed Some?
Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Social MediaLet’s face it: There are still way too many people who think social media and social networking sites are a fad and time-waster. I mean, how else do we explain the thousands of companies that have strict firewalls at their companies to prevent employees from using these sites. (And if you think that because you… Continue Reading
“If You Aren’t Using Social Media for Your Job Search or Recruiting, You Don’t Exist”
Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Social MediaMy thanks to the Human Resource Association of Greater New Haven for the invitation to speak to that group last week on the topic of social media and employment law. HRAGNH is an affiliate of SHRM and with nearly 60 attendees, we had a packed house for the event. When I’ve given such talks in the… Continue Reading
Materials from Webinar on the Intersection of Social Media & Employment Law Now Available Online
Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Social MediaThanks to all who joined us at today’s webinar that looked at the employment law ramifications of employment law. We had over 100 people sign up for this session. For those who were unable to join us, you can download a variety of materials related to the webinar. They are: The powerpoint presentation; The recording… Continue Reading
R U on FB or Twittr? Keeping Your Company Up-to-Date On Social Media Developments from an Employment Law Perspective
Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Social MediaThink Facebook is just for kids? Or think that Twitter is for the birds? Do you wonder what all the fuss is over social media? Are you hopelessly lost trying to bring your company up to speed with all the social media and networking platforms out there? The next webinar I’ll be presenting (August 12th… Continue Reading
Conducting Discovery in Discrimination Claims; Are Social Networking Sites Like Facebook Off-Limits or Untapped Treasure Trove?
Posted in Discrimination & Harassment, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, LitigationA fascinating article yesterday in Law.com entitled "Are Social Networking Sites Discoverable?" is well-worth a read to any company involved in litigating against former or even current employees. While the authors write in the context of a product liability case, the premise and subject is equally applicable to claims involving employees as well as the… Continue Reading
Court Rejects Challenge By Teacher Fired for Alleged Inappropriate Conduct on MySpace
Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance, LitigationSometimes I feel like a broken record (though in today’s world, perhaps that should be updated to "corrupted music file"). For a while now, it’s been apparent to most of us that employees continue to do silly things with e-mail and their social networking pages. Add a recent case in Connecticut to the list of cases where individuals are… Continue Reading
Using Social Networking Sites for Employment Screening; Is there a Right Answer?
Posted in Human Resources (HR) ComplianceOver the last couple of days, an interesting debate has emerged about whether employers should use social networking sites like Facebook and Myspace to "screen" potential employees. One corner, supported by the Delaware Employment Law Blog, argues that there are some real and tangible benefits to using the sites, as long as they are used… Continue Reading
Reductions in Force (RIF) Are Back; Are Employment Lawsuits (and MySpace Pages about Layoffs) Close Behind in 2008?
Posted in Class Actions, Discrimination & Harassment, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, LitigationThese days, everyone seems to be jumping on the wage and hour bandwagon, predicting an endless stream of lawsuits for 2008, just as there was for 2007. But just as mutual funds preach that "past performance is no guarantee of future success", I would argue that focusing too much on one trend, misses an opportunity… Continue Reading
About Daniel Schwartz
Trusted advisor. Experienced employment law attorney. Bar leader. Award-winning author. Noted Speaker. "Legal Rebel". All can be said to be apt descriptions of Daniel Schwartz, a member of Pullman & Comley. More +
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