Pictured: Graham Davies, of Martin-Kaye LLP Solicitors

Social networking is changing the way employees communicate in the workplace, and Shropshire companies must take notice.

Graham Davies, of Martin-Kaye LLP Solicitors, in Telford, said it was crucial that employers reviewed their email and internet policies regularly.

"With technology moving at such an incredible pace, any policies you put in place may well be out of date in a very short time.

"So it's vital that every company looks closely at its procedures frequently in order to stay one step ahead."

Graham said in particular, policies on social networking and video sharing websites needed to be tightened up given the increasing interest in sites such as Facebook, twitter and LinkedIn.

"You may decide to ban your staff from posting anything about the work they do for your company or anything that could identify it, because you don't want internal discussions or decisions spread all over the internet.

"And don't allow workers to provide links to your company's website because you don't want to give the impression that you're officially linked to what they may have written in a personal capacity.

"It's also important to stress to employees that they must clearly state that any views they express are their own, and not your corporate opinion."

Graham said staff needed to be aware too that their actions on the internet and via email could have potential risks.

"They may be under the false impression that if they ensure their privacy settings are set to a restricted level that they can post whatever they like. 

"But if they've previously added work colleagues or business contacts to their 'friends' list, then of course they will be able to see exactly what they have said.

"If your company has its own official blog though and an employee is asked to contribute to it, then different rules will apply, and you should advise them at the time about what to write on your behalf.

"Technology is changing the face of communication in all areas of our lives today, and it's up to you to ensure your staff don't damage your company's reputation with ill-considered messages and personal opinions."