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Ask HR: Can We Dictate Employee Behavior Outside Of Work?

Whether you’re commenting on Twitter or posting images on Facebook, it’s

important that you’re mindful of your behavior and how your words could

affect others. Though you’re off the clock, your co-workers could be

impacted by certain behavior which could translate into uncertainty or

discomfort in the office. How can your organization prevent this

potential issue?

You don’t have to stop being social. Let the expert professionals at HR

Support Center help guide you through this delicate situation.

Question:

Can we dictate employee behavior outside of the workplace?

Answer from the HR Pros:

Employers are limited in how much control can be exerted when employees are not on duty.

We know issues may arise when employees engage in social activities

after hours where they feel they can let loose or otherwise act in a way

that is inconsistent with the policies outlined in the employee handbook. While an employer can’t

regulate what goes on in that setting—in fact, many states protect legal

off-duty conduct—you can expect and require that there not be any

residual effects that carry over into the workplace. For instance, if an

employee made threatening comments about a certain religious group on

their Facebook page, and these comments were seen by another employee

who then felt fear in the workplace, you would need to address this

behavior.

It’s also worth keeping in mind that there is a higher legal standard

for the behavior of supervisors. Employers will always be responsible

for harassment by a supervisor that results in a tangible employment

action like demotion, termination, or constructive discharge—even if the

harassment originated outside the workplace. And even if the harassment

from a supervisor doesn’t lead to a tangible employment action, the

employer is liable unless it proves that it exercised reasonable care to

prevent and correct the harassment and that the employee “unreasonably”

failed to complain to management.

Your best defense is a clear sexual and unlawful harassment policy along

with well-trained managers. This should help limit problematic behavior

outside of the workplace, as well as assist your managers and

supervisors in dealing with these issues if they begin in, or seep into,

the workplace.

This content came from a team of HR professionals at HR Support Center.

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