Imagine waking up one morning, as you usually do for work, putting butter on a freshly toasted slice of bread, turning on the computer, only to be woken up from this sacred routine by the loud “ping” from your instant messenger for business.
Gosh, I got trashed last night. Bet you want to know who I saw kissing at the entrance of the club. :)
And while you usually welcome gossip, what you read next wasn’t that comfortable. Maybe you should distance yourself from such conversations and separate your personal life from work.
The truth is - in a business setting, there are appropriate and inappropriate conversations, and we should follow some rules that will help us steer clear of uncomfortable situations. Things become much harder when the company we work for doesn’t have a clear instant messaging policy employees will follow.
That said, we decided to help you with tips and tricks on how your instant messaging policy should look like to allow seamless work and avoid uncomfortable situations.
What should instant messaging policy contain?
If you’re aware of the dangers of not having an instant messaging policy in place for your workplace, then you might be thinking how you can write an easy guide to it your employees will follow, to avoid uncomfortable situations that can only stall progress and lead to miscommunication.
Here are some things you should consider when writing an instant messaging policy:
Which instant messaging apps are allowed? Where should the business conversations be disclosed?
When is it appropriate to send messages to coworkers?
Will conversations be monitored or not?
When is it appropriate to send messages to coworkers? (Working hours, etc.)
Where should off-topics be discussed?
What are the consequences of not respecting an instant messaging policy?
Discussing employees’ privacy.
What kind of conversation is permitted?
Protecting stakeholders’ and customers’ information.
How to make an instant messaging policy for your workplace?
Now, when we have a brief overview of the points each instant messaging policy should contain, let’s discuss each point and explain its importance to help you craft the best instant messaging policy for your workplace.
Which messaging apps are permitted?
This is an important point you should disclose in your instant messaging policy for your workplace since it both protects the company’s privacy and addresses employees’ productivity. For instance, if your workplace allows instant messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Viber, Facebook Messenger, and so on, the company’s privacy can be endangered since there’s a risk of passing viruses. If you don’t want to ban other forms of instant messaging in your workplace (that don’t belong to your business IM software), you should state the risks of downloading and clicking on attached files from unknown senders. You should set a policy for personal IM use by either forbidding it altogether or restricting it to lunchtime and other break periods.
When is it appropriate to send messages to coworkers?
Many workplaces operate on a remote basis, and some of them, as a way to attract employees and provide them greater work-life balance, offer flexible schedules. However, even though this comes with a wide array of benefits, it can create problems on the other side. For instance, some employees might be active during the morning hours, while others prefer working during the night. That said, it’s important to implement a rule about when it’s appropriate to send a message to coworkers and when it’s not.
Generally, the ideal compromise would be to determine genuine hours when everyone should be present at work and write a note about hours when employees shouldn’t message each other to respect each employee’s privacy. In the end, many instant messaging apps allow you to schedule messages. So, if you’re working late, you can always schedule your message to be sent when your coworkers are more likely to be online.
Will conversations be monitored or not?
In your instant messaging policy, you should state whether a company can access and monitor messages that were disclosed between employees. For instance, some companies can monitor employee’s messages and they’re archived after a certain period to secure their data trail.
Where should off-topics be discussed?
"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy". Working isn’t always about doing your job and your job only. As we spend the majority of our time working, it’s normal for us to engage in conversations and interactions with our coworkers that have little to do with the actual job. However, while off-topic chats are always welcomed, they can be burdening and cause miscommunication if discussed in project-related chats.
That said, you should clearly state where it’s appropriate to send non-work-related messages and create general chats that can serve as a virtual common spot where water fountains and kitchens once were.
What are the consequences of not respecting the business chat policy?
Rules are good as long as we respect and enforce them. The instant messaging policy is no exception. You should be clear about what the consequences and penalties are for disobeying the instant messaging policy you have in place and, when necessary, enforce them. Bonus tip: making your employees read and sign a copy of your instant messaging policy can help minimize misunderstandings.
What kind of conversation is permitted?
Instant messaging is a more informal way of communication than email, for instance. Since it’s dynamic, employees might be more relaxed while chatting with each other. That’s a good thing, as it helps them to get to know each other better, improve collaboration, and boost their motivation and productivity. However, this type of communication comes with its own set of drawbacks.
For instance, employees might become too relaxed while using instant messaging for business. They can go that far to create non-work-related chats and threads on their professional communications channels. While an increasing number of workplaces allow banter, if there is no instant messaging policy in place, conversations can take a negative turn. For instance, discussing politics, gender-sensitive topics, or religion might turn employees against each other.
The truth is, when we make friendships, we’re able to pick friends based on our interests and opinions. When it comes to coworkers, we don’t have the same privilege of choosing. We need to learn how to accept and respect mutual differences, and we should be careful about what kind of information we share, as some might be offended.
Protecting employees vs being too intrusive.
While protecting the business is a must, the privacy of employees shouldn’t suffer along the way. If a company’s policy allows you to have access to an employee's conversation, you might also stumble upon personal messages containing intimate details of your employee’s personal life. The policy must keep in balance the company’s right to information and the employees’ right to privacy.
Protecting stakeholders.
The misuse and abuse of instant messaging apps in the workplace can endanger customers' and stakeholders' data. If the employee is able to upload or transfer data from an app to a phone and vice versa or transfer data to external servers, stakeholders' and customers' data might be at risk. For EU citizens, for instance, breaking GDPR rules can lead to serious legal consequences, including fines of up to €20 million.
While writing your instant messaging policy, you need to make sure to provide information about when those messengers can be used as well as when they cannot.
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