Online behavior policies

I would guess that most organizations have relatively clear "Internet Usage" policies that govern how computers and the Internet should be used for work-related purposes only during work hours. Often employees agree to this policy by signing a document when they are hired or by clicking an agreement when their computers turn on every morning. And of course all employees adhere to these rules. Ahem.

But many organizations struggle with what to do regarding a corporate policy for governing and guiding their employees' online behavior outside of work. Should employees be allowed to have their own blogs? What if they talk about work on their blogs? What about MySpace pages?

Edleman PR isn't afraid to tackle the issue and has one of the best policies I've seen. It's thoughtful and thorough, and it educates and advises rather than simply prohibiting certain actions.

Obviously organizations are going to have different comfort levels regarding how their employees represent themselves and the organization online. But thinking through the issues and clearly communicating with employees is the key to an effective policy.