Act As 'Scouts', Report Negative Remarks: Byju's Updates Employees' Media Policy

Byju's has issued an updated media policy for its employees as the ed-tech company restructures for a fresh lease of life under new Chief Executive Office Arjun Mohan.

In an updated version of the existing policy, Byju's reiterated that employees shouldn't interact with any media houses or publications without prior approval from the company.

"Any violation of this will be taken seriously by the company and may result in appropriate disciplinary and legal action being initiated against you," it said in a document on Tuesday. BQ Prime has reviewed a copy of the new policy.

Byju's also set out rules that employees must adhere to while posting on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and other platforms. It said employees should add a disclaimer to their accounts, like "opinions are my own and do not represent the views of the organisation I am currently working for".

Byju's warned employees that it might actively monitor their interactions, external communications, and all social media postings that are related to the company.

It also asked employees to act as "scouts" and report any positive or negative remarks about the company to be reported to the relevant teams.

In response to BQ Prime's queries, Byju's spokesperson said this updated policy is part of its business review.

"As part of this exercise, we are reviewing various policies to reflect industry-best practises," the spokesperson said. "This policy is no different and encourages responsible usage of social media for communication."

The media policy also comes at a time when several employees have taken to LinkedIn to voice their concerns about delayed, post-resignation final payments.

Screengrab of an employee's post about delayed payments. (Source: LinkedIn)

Screengrab of an employee's post about delayed payments. (Source: LinkedIn)

Byju's is also expected to announce its fiscal 2022 earnings by the end of September after a long-drawn delay. The company has seen a host of senior executives depart over the past few weeks as the restructuring of verticals came into action.

Due to the restructuring, a fresh round of job cuts could also see as many as 4,000–5,000 employees fired from the ed-tech firm. It has already laid off at least 3,600 employees since its troubles began about a year ago.