Fundamentals of Human Resource Management 6th Edition by Raymond Noe, John Hollenbeck, Barry Gerhart,Patrick Wright

Exercise 13

Employees' Privacy vs. Employer's Reputation
For the most part, what employees post on Facebook and Pinterest or share with their followers on Twitter relates only to their personal lives and relationships. Occasionally, however, an employee shares information that should have been confidential or expresses an opinion that could damage the employer's reputation. This possibility leaves employers wondering how far they should go in monitoring what employees share on social media.
The chief argument in favor of monitoring is that employees have occasionally done real damage to a company by posting nasty statements about customers or harassing their co-workers. If this kind of behavior goes far enough, it can damage the company's reputation and even provoke a lawsuit. Hospitals have discovered that their employees discussed patients on Facebook, which is illegal as well as unethical.
The major argument against monitoring is that unless an employer has a reason to be suspicious of particular employees, it is an invasive overreaction. According to this viewpoint, most employees' social-media activities are unrelated to work, so employers should respect their privacy. In a company that makes a habit out of tracking employees' personal use of social media, it too easily becomes possible to weigh every photo and statement, looking for supposedly offensive behavior until employees are penalized for behavior that has nothing to do with the employer's well-being. Beyond the justice issue is the practical question of whether it is even possible to monitor all of employees' social-media activity, given that most applications have privacy settings.
There is another way to think about employees' use of social media: it can also be an asset for the employer. At a company where people are highly satisfied with their jobs and engaged in their work, employees are likely to say positive things about work, thereby enhancing the company's reputation. Some even go so far as to become "employee activists," who defend their company against critics, promote it as a great place to work, and generally advocate for it online.
Under what conditions do you think an employer should monitor employees' personal use of social media