Social Media PoliciesSocial media has evolved enormously in the way many companies and employers do business in recent years. This has helped many businesses to grow and expand through the use of social media through mass and instant communication and advertising through this technology. Like everything, there is a side effect. The “downfall” of social media is the subject of employees disparaging their employer's reputation when it comes to employee communication via social media about their employer. Faced with such controversy, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) had to step in to distinguish what is considered legal. illegal dismissal due to these actions of employees and their employers. The question to ask is whether this is a concerted activity or not. This will help the NLRB determine whether appropriate disciplinary procedures have been taken. Belicove (2012) in the article, NLRB Slams Costco On Social Media Usage Policy: What It Means For your Business, “A decision by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in a case involving Costco earlier this month makes clear that Employers who want to avoid workplace disputes would be wise to schedule a meeting with their legal counsel and take a close look at their existing policies regarding the use of social media. In this particular case, the NLRB disagrees with Costco Wholesale Corp's employee policies regarding Internet and social media use and limitations by its employees. After complaints filed by more than 300 employees, the NLRB ultimately took the position that Costco was violating the National Labor Relations Act. "The NLRB's three-person panel found that the third-largest retailer in the United States has employee policies in place that are 'too clear... middle of paper... employees may have issues with this protocol, I would be willing to hear what they have to say and hopefully add some of their ideas to mine. from http://www.forbes.com/sites/mikalbelicove/2012/09/28/nlrb-slams-costco-on-social-media-use-policy-what-it-means-for-your-business/Dessler , G., (2013): Human Resource Management, 13th ed., Prentice HallNLRB.gov (nd). Retrieved May 17, 2014, from http://nlrb.gov/rights-we-protect/. protected-concerted-activity Smith, A (2012). NLRB: Costco Policy Against Defamatory Statements Violated NLRA - Accessed May 18, 2014 at http://www.shrm.org/legalissues/federalresources/pages/nlrb-defamatory-statements. aspx#sthash.beWh4Yvj.dpuf