Running Head: Social Media Policy Proposal 1

Social Media Policy Proposal

Merica Green

Social Media for Professional Learning | AET/562

December 4, 2017

Professor Danene Mims

ESSENCE OF LOGOS TRAINING FIRM
BUSINESS PROPOSAL
For the Solid Waste Services Department Leadership Team

Overview
Essence of Logos Training Firm is pleased to submit this business proposal to The Solid Waste

Services Department to address the need for the creation and implementation of a social media

policy for your employees.

The Objective

Social media has been widely used within your organization for the purpose of communicating,

with citizens, the services you provide as well as any temporary cancellations or changes to

services. You also use social media to relay emergency and important messages and for training

and development opportunities with your employees. The Essence of Logos Training Firm is

presenting this proposal to you because of the prevalence of social media.

The Opportunity

The guidelines and rules you establish to govern social media usage should be strengthened by

the potential legal risks your organization has become susceptible to because of its presence

within the social media community. The Essence of Logos Training Firm recommends that you

take this opportunity to regulate behaviors by drafting and implementing a policy and that you

focus on the following potential risks involved with social media usage:

 Reputational Harm

o Employees may find temporary “relief” from venting work frustrations on social media.

These irresponsible types of expressions can lead to a scarred reputation for the

organization and a loss of employment of the employee(s) involved (Hebblewhite,

2017).
  Legal Liability

o Harassment, bullying, and discrimination in the workplace have the potential to become

heightened when perpetrators can hide behind the virtual wall of social media.

 Confidential Information (Hebblewhite, 2017).

o Because privacy in the social media world is significantly limited, confidential

information can bear greater vulnerability than it could in a physical office. Even the

most innocent of social media exchanges about confidential information can be

damaging (Hebblewhite, 2017).

The Solution

 Create an organizational Social Media Policy that must be adhered to by employees and the

organization

 Implement the created policy and commit to updating the policy on a regular basis as social

media continues to evolve

 Follow through with repercussions as outlined in the Social Media Policy that result from

disregard for the policy

Our Proposal

The Solid Waste Services Departmentis a leader among the fourteen departments of the City of

Charlotte. As a leader, your department is looked at as a model for excellence in all areas, to

include responsible social media usage. To ensure accountability, the Essence of Logos Training

Firm will work with you to create a policy which will govern the use of social media by

employees for work related and non-work related matters that could in any way adversely affect

the organization. The primary goal of the policy will be to bring awareness of social media

misuse or inadvertent use to employees before implementation.

The Social Media Policy should be added to the department’s policy handbook which is

distributed to all onboarding employees. It will be the responsibility of the Solid Waste Services

Department to ensure all employees receive and have an understanding of the policy and the

disciplines attached to non-compliance. “The policy should remind employees that social media

activity in the workplace is not necessarily private, and that employers can discipline employees

for conduct that breaches employee policies in the social media arena just as in other arenas”

(Adopting a Social Media Policy in Practice, 2014).

Expected Results

We expect our business proposal to The Solid Waste Services Department Leadership Team,

concerning the creation and implementation of a Social Media Policy, will bring a needed

understanding of the risks involved with social media usage to your employees. As well as

change the culture of your learning and development environment. As you explore opportunities

to connect with like organizations in the Solid Waste industry across the globe, this new policy

will prove necessary for anticipated virtual connections. It is noted that “people increasingly

need to work and learn together even when they can’t physically be together” (Apollo Education

Group, 2010). This truth will progressively find you and members of your organization engaged

in social media on a more frequent basis than you had in the past. The goal of your embracing

this recommendation is that your organization will add to its accomplishments, the ability to

handle social media in accordance with the policy you have implemented and the ability to grow

your department’s interconnectivity within your industry.

The Essence of Logos Training Firm looks forward to working with the Solid Waste Services

Department’s Leadership Team and supporting your efforts to adhere to social media policy

standards. If you have questions on this proposal, feel free to contact Merica Green at your
convenience by email at mericag@email.phoenix.edu or by phone at 843-743-7398. We will be

in touch with you next week to arrange a follow-up meeting and to determine next steps.

Thank you for your consideration,

Merica Green
Training and Development Specialist
Essence of Logos Training Firm
 References

Adopting a Social Media Policy in Practice. (2014). The Veterinary Record, 175(9), 236.

doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/vr.g5480

Apollo Education Group. (2010). AET 562r3: Social Media for Professional Learning. Retrieved

from VitalSource Bookshelf.

Hebblewhite, N. (2017). Implementing an Effective Social Media Policy. Governance

Directions, 69(3), 167-169.