It seems that not a day goes by that you hear a story of an employee being warned or dismissed from their job about something they said or did on a social media site.

Vivienne from @MySocialPolicy on Twitter made me aware that her company, @BlandsLaw has made available, free of charge a Sample Social Media Policy which is an invaluable tool for any employer to start to shape a social media policy. They developed it in response to what they see as "a huge gap in servicing companies wanting to engage in social media", particularly for Australian companies, though it could be adapted anywhere with a bit of tweaking for local legislation.

While this doesn't replace legal advice that should be sought when developing formal social media policies for ultimate business protection,  it's a good start and much better than having no policy at all. 

To download a free copy or request it be emailed to you, visit http://www.blandslaw.com.au/checklist_ssmp.html