Avoid confusion: Develop social media policies now

Social media can be used as a great tool to help support your growing business. It can be a means of allowing sales executives an easy way to maintain contacts with customers, as well as a professional networking tool that can be applied across global boundaries. Additionally, social media aids in the further development of your unique brand and can be a great compliment to your company’s profile.

On a personal level, it can also be a convenient way for friends and families to keep in touch. As a result, it’s hard to avoid the fact that many of your employees are probably already mixing business with pleasure via social media.

But what’s acceptable behavior to your employees may not be acceptable to you -- or vice versa. So it’s a good idea to let your colleagues know what you expect of their social media use, particularly as it pertains to their work.

That’s why it’s important to have social media guidelines and policies in place for your employees. It’s not fair to discipline employees for not meeting a standard they’re not aware of. Nor is it fair for employees to overly restrict themselves because they’re not sure what you expect.

We at eni have been drafting our own guidelines. Knowing that social media outlets have different purposes, we’ve drafted our guidelines accordingly. LinkedIn was designed with the business professional in mind, creating an environment more conducive of professional communication. Facebook was created for a younger, more casual user, and features applications and networks meant to entertain rather than do business. Twitter and MySpace have their own particular quirks and specific demographics. And nobody really knows what new service will be available or popular next year.

What’s appropriate behavior and language on one may not be appropriate for another. A customer, for example, may not be familiar with the specialized trade jargon you might use with a colleague. Some contacts may want some personal conversations; others may shun it.

Your policy needs to keep that flexibility in mind. But here are some general principles we ask our own employees to keep in mind:

Everyone can hear you. Social media outlets are meant to be public, so in general everyone can hear or see everything you say. So don’t say it unless you’re willing to let everyone know about it.

Be professional and congenial. The Internet is no place to make derogatory comments about anyone. Remember that in public, your behavior and comments reflect on both you and your employer. Just because you’re alone at your computer doesn’t mean you’re alone on the Internet.

Do not reveal proprietary information – especially about your company and your clients. Once information is released to the Internet, it cannot be retrieved. Social media does not provide for very secure communications.

Avoid profanity, vulgarity and sexual innuendo. Some outlets are formal; some are casual. But none of them are an excuse to be crass.

Similarly, avoid posting photos that compromise your public image. What you do in private is your business, but perhaps you shouldn’t tell casual acquaintances and business colleagues about it.

Consider maintaining separate accounts for professional and private use. Social media allows friends and family to communicate easily from wherever they are. But professional contacts may not want to hear the details of your private life. And many personal contacts may be annoyed by business communication.

What disciplinary procedures you enact, of course, depend on your particular company. But something to keep in mind is that social media is still somewhat new to both the professional and personal world, so there’s going to be a learning curve.

That’s why it’s important to get ahead of that policy and educate your employees as soon as possible.

Seizing Opportunities in the Mental Health Parity Act

Employers and health plan administrators wonder how much the Wellstone-Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 will cost once it arrives online in 2010.

Our best advice is to use an ounce of prevention.

The act requires mental health and addiction treatment benefits to be as accessible and affordable as medical and surgical benefits. It’s a tough time for companies to deal with it, given the economy, and we estimate that up to 5 percent of companies may drop mental health coverage altogether, instead.

But there’s another option. A well-coordinated EAP can actually prevent the need for more expensive treatment options.

An EAP service provider will provide mental health professionals to screen employees seeking services. They can identify issues sooner when treatment may be less expensive. And for those companies that discontinue mental health benefits, an extended work/life program – with maybe 10 sessions instead of 3 – can at least begin to address an employee’s needs.

We’ve written a whitepaper on the topic that gives you key details about the act and what it can mean to your company. And given that as many as half of all Americans will face a diagnosable mental health issue at some point, you can assume that your employees will too.

Proven Stress Busters

Office tension eats into your productivity – and those you work with. Perhaps you find yourself easily distracted. Maybe you snap at coworkers or imagine throwing your computer through a window. It’s common. But help is here. These relaxation techniques can help relieve both the physical and mental tensions that come with your exciting and stressful career. 

1. Breathe deeply. Close your eyes and breathe in slowly. Let the breath out for a count of five. Do this 10 times. 
   
2. Stretch. Raise your arms above your head. Stretch left and hold for four counts. Stretch right and hold. Reach straight up and stretch your back and shoulder muscles. Gently stretch your right ear toward your right shoulder. Repeat on the other side. Open your mouth as wide as you can and yawn.
   
3. Sit up straight in your chair, then drop your upper torso, arms and head between your knees. Exhale and then take a deep breath as you slowly roll up, beginning at the base of your spine. 
   
4. Explore as many variations of your sitting position as you can while maintaining good posture: Feet flat on the floor in front of you, lower back supported against your chair and keeping an imaginary straight line from your ears, through your shoulders to your hips. 
   
5. Exercise. Take a brisk walk or climb the stairs. 
   
6. Eat well. Snack on fresh fruits, vegetables and whole-grain foods. They have lots of stress-busting B and C vitamins. 
   
7. Skip your next cup of coffee. Try a new fruit juice instead. Or maybe sip on some herbal tea or hot broth.
   
8. Eat a tangerine. Peel it slowly, noticing the mist and the fragrance. Observe the structure of each section and savor each bite. As you eat, imagine the sunny grove where the tangerine grew. 
   
9. Laugh. Keep a good joke handy. Take a few moments to jot down the funny aspects of your present situation. 
   
10. Talk. Chat with coworkers about hobbies and activities outside of work. 
    
11. Close your eyes and picture a peaceful place: a meadow, an ocean scene or a favorite room in your house. Visualize the scene in detail, with all the sights, sounds and smells. 
    
12. Look out the window. Let your thoughts drift for five minutes. 
    
13. Visit a tree or statue during your lunch break. Enjoy its texture and its shape against the sky.
    
14. Finish an easy task, something you've been putting off because it's "not important." 
    
15. Play. Work a crossword or other puzzle during a break. 
    
16. Give yourself a massage. Rub your left shoulder, neck and scalp with your right hand, and repeat on the right side with your left hand. 
    

Thanks for visiting us in New Orleans, and the winners are...

eni would like to thank everyone who visited the eni booth during the 2009 SHRM Conference and Expo in New Orleans.

To celebrate eni’s commitment to work/life balance, eni had a grand prize drawing for a free $1,000 cruise gift card to use for the date and destination of their choice.

Congratulations to our grand prize winner Suzanne Ferris!

Hundreds of people took part in the eni Walk to Win New Orleans Step Challenge, proudly wearing an eni pedometer to count each step exploring the conference, the expo and New Orleans.

While so many of you logged impressive step counts, the top winners were:

1st Place Winner of an Amazon Kindle:
Joel Stringer, 61,081 steps

2nd Place Winner of an iPod Touch:
Cecilia Forbes- 44,451

Winners of an iPod Shuffle:
3rd Place: Jason Scott- 43,810
4th Place: Roshelle Campbell- 42,924
5th Place: Connie Otts- 38,864

Winners will be contacted by eni’s work/life experts, and will receive their prize via direct mail to the address provided during the expo.

eni customizes its work/life services to actively engage, educate and empower a happy, healthy, more productive work force. The integrated work/life Employee Assistance Program, and corporate wellness services are two strong benefit offerings that help both you and your work force succeed and perform at maximum potential.