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New Laws for 2015: South Carolina Bans Social Media for State Employees


Recently, it was announced that South Carolina is taking a somewhat drastic step and ban the use of social media by state workers beginning in July (note that other employees will still be able to use social media, depending upon the employer's social media policies of course).  This new law will prohibit state employees from using social media on state equipment unless it is a part of that employee's actual job.  What's the reason for this new law you ask?  According to the State Employee Code of Conduct Task Force report, the new rule will provide "clear, easy to understand guidance to state employees and will provide the public with greater trust and confidence in state government."  Hmmm, ok.  

As others have noted, this new law could backfire as social media is often useful to allow employees to reduce stress, interact with friends and family, and take a moment for some personal downtime.  Taking away social media can lead to increased stress on the job, quicker burnout, and lower morale among employees. 


Additional information can be found here:  http://www.thestate.com/2015/01/23/3945611_code-of-conduct-for-sc-state-workers.html?rh=1

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