New research from eMarketer shows that 74% of employees are well aware that there are consequences associated to having bad social media habits at the office.

Most employees appear to understand the potential for reputation damage that stems from bad-mouthing the boss or the company. A major stumbling point to social media use in the office continues to hinge on the fact that companies still don't have an official policy or clear direction on what social media sites are or aren't allowed to be accessed or used during work hours.

If your workplace would like to introduce social media in the office, but doesn't know how, here is a suggestion. Attach the tips below along with the eMarketer article and take it to your employer or boss. Explain how you understand your responsibilities to the company and how you are willing to initiate discussion on enacting an official workplace policy:

Tip to Business: Make it a matter of official policy and provide your workers with a clear direction on the uses of social media in the workplace, especially if social media plays an important role in your overall business strategy. Social media sites and fee web tools that make it easy for key company opinion, ideas or data to be posted online and shared freely may expose your company to unnecessary risks. Those risks may be associated to such things as propietary disclosure and/or breaches of confidentiality. Such activities should be closely monitored, and in addition to enacting workplace blogging and social media policies, those policies should be expanded to include guidelines which will work to prevent breaches from occurring and raising risk awareness within your workplace culture.

Tip to Employees: Ask your employer and become well-informed about any company policies as they relate to posting ideas or opinions on blogs, social media sites, or using any free online utilities which help you manage email, company documents, spreadsheets or other forms of company data, and which may expose your employer to unnecessary risk.

Click here to read about other interesting findings from the eMarketer article.

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