Social media policy

Social media Policy

Overview

This policy applies to all forms of social media, including but not limited to Facebook, LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), Wikipedia, blogs, and other social networking or internet posting platforms. It covers social media use for both business and personal purposes, whether during working hours or outside of work, to the extent that such use may impact the business of the Company.

Scope

This policy applies to all employees, consultants, contractors, casual workers, and agency staff.

General principles

While social media can be beneficial for communication and networking, its misuse presents significant risks, including:

• Disclosure of confidential information or intellectual property.

• Damage to the Company’s reputation.

• Potential legal claims or regulatory breaches.

To minimise these risks, this policy sets out the rules governing social media use.

A breach of this policy may result in disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal. Any concerns about the misuse of social media should be reported to the IT department.

For any questions regarding the content or application of this policy, employees should consult their manager or the IT department.

Personal Use of Social Media at Work

Employees are not permitted to access social media for personal use during working hours unless authorised. Occasional personal use may be allowed, provided it:

• Does not include unprofessional or inappropriate content.

• Does not interfere with productivity or work duties.

• Complies with this policy.

The Company reserves the right to monitor social media usage on its IT systems in accordance with relevant laws and policies.

Business Use of Social Media

If employees are required or authorised to use social media as part of their role, they must:

• Ensure such use has appropriate approval.

• Comply with this policy and any applicable guidelines on professional communication.

Responsible Use of Social Media

Employees must not use social media in a way that breaches:

• Company policies (including Equality and Bullying & Harassment policies).

• Regulatory body rules.

• Contractual confidentiality obligations.

• Data protection legislation (including the Data Protection Act 2018).

Employees must not:

• Make disparaging or defamatory statements about the Company, its employees, clients, customers, or suppliers.

• Harass, bully, or unlawfully discriminate in any way.

• Breach copyright, intellectual property, or confidentiality obligations.

• Share commercially sensitive or confidential business information.

• Post statements that could damage the Company’s reputation or business interests.

Employees should take care to avoid communications that could be misinterpreted and harm the Company’s reputation.

Personal Social Media Use & Employer Representation

When posting on social media in a personal capacity:

• Employees should make it clear that they are speaking on their own behalf and not on behalf of the Company.

• If disclosing their employment with the Company, they must state that their views do not represent the Company (e.g., “The views in this post are my own and do not represent my employer”).

Employees are personally responsible for the content they share. Social media posts can be widely accessible and may remain public for a long time. If in doubt about the appropriateness of a post, employees should consult their manager before publishing it.

This policy [does not] form[s] part of your terms and conditions of employment.

Version: [1.0]

Issue date: [date]

Author: [name, job title]