SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY

This policy sets out the company’s policy for use of networking and social media sites and covers all employees.

Employees may access social networking sites using the company’s facilities; however, this should not be done during working hours and time spent on such sites should be kept to a reasonable limit. If there is any evidence that this privilege is being abused, then the privilege may be withdrawn.

Employees’ use of social networking sites may impact on the company and its business. Such impact includes potentially causing damage to its reputation, loss of confidential information, or exposure to other liabilities such as claims of discrimination, harassment, or workplace bullying. The content of any communications or comments posted on a social networking site must not damage or bring into disrepute the company, its staff, or clients. Therefore, employees who use social networking sites are prohibited from:

• engaging in any conduct or posting any comments which are detrimental to the company.
• engaging in any conduct or posting any comments which could damage working relationships between other workers, suppliers, affiliates or clients of the company. Where the employee expresses personal views, it must be clear that these are personal views and do not represent the views of the company.
• engaging in any conduct or posting any comments which could be derogatory to another person or third party or which could constitute unlawful discrimination or harassment.
• recording any confidential information regarding the company on any social networking site or posting comments about any company related topics such as the company’s performance.
• making information available which could provide any person with unauthorised access to the company, the facilities and / or any confidential information.

Employees may be required to remove postings deemed to constitute a breach of this policy. This may include any ‘likes’ or ‘dislikes’ of other people’s posts or the re-posting / tweeting of other people’s comments which of themselves may constitute a breach of this policy.

In order to protect the company’s reputation and to provide a consistent approach, the following rules apply when employees access or use professional networking or social media sites on behalf of the company:

• Employees must have written permission from a manager before setting up an account for any professional networking or social media site which is to be used for company business.
• Employees should create the account using their work email address only.
• Employees must notify their manager of the details of the account including the password.
• Employees should only use the account for the purpose for which it was authorised.
• Employees shall inform the company of activities that they carry out in relation to professional networking or social media sites including details of membership of sites that have been set up and new contacts that have made during the course of employment.
• Employees must comply with the terms and conditions of use of all networking sites that are used
• Employees must delete any professional contacts they are instructed to delete by the company (which may include a general instruction to delete records in order to comply with the data protection laws).
• Employees must advise the company if they become aware of any breach of this policy by a colleague. Failure to do so may be a disciplinary offence.

The company reserves the right to restrict access to professional networking or social media sites and accounts that have been created on behalf of the company.

This policy is publicly available by contacting us at [email protected]

Approved By: Billy Stein, Managing Director

Date: 2024

Review: 2025