Policing tweets poses a quandary for employers

As the Twitter population grows, so does the chance for damage. So where does a company draw the line?

As everyone from interns to elected officials in the United Kingdom struggle to get a grip on the “right” way to tweet on Twitter, many organizations are trying to figure out how to get a handle on the micro-blogging phenomenon.

Considering the growth of Twitter — some estimates put it well over 1,300 percent this year —many organizations are realizing that their always-on, instant-gratification constituencies demand that they evolve.

As they do so, though, it’s going to be even more important for those organizations to establish guidelines for employees to follow. It’s common to receive an employee handbook on your first day in the office. Inside is a tremendous amount of information, often including company policies regarding the use of such things as telephones. What is unusual, unfortunately, is to find guidelines regarding an employee’s involvement in social media.