A recent survey by the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE) and the Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA) shows that half of all employers lack a policy to address employees’ use of social networking websites outside of work, despite the fact that one-fourth have disciplined an employee for improper activities on Facebook, Twitter, and similar sites.

The survey results, released on September 25, 2009, provide statistical support for what we have been experiencing in our day-to-day counseling roles: a significant increase in employers’ questions and concerns regarding employee use of social networking sites.