Regardless of which approach you take to IM management— banning it entirely, installing one authorized enterprise system, or using gateway technology to support your employees’ personal IM tools—you must establish written rules and policies to enforce your strategic IM management plan.
When it comes to employees’ IM use, there simply is no way to guarantee a completely risk-free workplace. You can, however, limit liability by developing and implementing comprehensive rules and policies that address personal use, content, monitoring, compliance, retention, deletion, and other key issues.
Instant messaging policies may not be required by law, but they certainly can help keep your organization out of legal trouble. To date, employers have spent millions of dollars defending and settling lawsuits related to improper e-mail and Internet use. Instant messaging is certain to make an already litigious business environment even more litigious.
While the laws and regulations governing IM, e-mail, and Internet use continue to evolve, one fact remains clear. Organizations can help insulate themselves from some workplace claims by developing and implementing comprehensive rules and policies governing IM and all other forms of electronic communication.