Social media policy
Introduction
With the rise of new media and next generation communications tools, the way in which National Home Nurse employees can communicate internally and externally continues to evolve. While this creates new opportunities for communication and collaboration, it also creates new responsibilities for National Home Nurse. The intention of the policy is to provide guidance for employees, contractors, visitors * and the general public in the appropriate use of social media.
*For the purpose of this policy, visitors includes any person engaged by a recruitment agency, labour hire organisation, volunteers, the general public or any other third party with whom National Home Nurse has engaged.
Purpose
The purpose of the policy is to provide guidance in the use of social media postings both for internal and external use and to ensure that we mitigate any risks associated with social media usage. The policy also sets out how we will deal with postings from the general public.
Scope
This policy will apply to all employees, contractors, and visitors * of National Home Nurse and its related entities, as well as the general public visiting our sites.
Definition
Social media includes but is not limited to applications and sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Blogs, Apps and other multi-media and social media networking platforms.
Using social media
Regardless of whether social media is used for business-related activity or for personal reasons, the following standards apply to all employees, contractors, and visitors of National Home Nurse. Employees are legally responsible for their postings, and may be subject to liability and disciplinary action including termination of employment if their posts are found to be in breach of this policy and/or any other policy in force by National Home Nurse.
Employees
Social media postings should:
- Clearly identify you as a National Home Nurse employee if you comment/post on any aspect of our business or any policy issue in which National Home Nurse is involved and in which you have responsibility.
- Reflect your personal point of view, not necessarily the point of view of National Home Nurse.
- Include the following disclaimer in a reasonably prominent place if you identify yourself as a National Home Nurse employee on any posting, refer to the work done by National Home Nurse or provide a link to the National Home Nurse website: “The views expressed in this post are mine and do not reflect the views of National Home Nurse.”
- Respect copyright, privacy, fair use, financial disclosure and other applicable laws when publishing on social media platforms.
Social media postings should not:
- Claim or imply that you are speaking on National Home Nurse's behalf, unless you are authorised to do so.
- Disclose any information that is confidential or proprietary to National Home Nurse, or to any third party that has disclosed information to National Home Nurse.
- Be defamatory, harassing, or in violation of any other applicable law.
- Include confidential or copyrighted information (music, videos, text, etc.) belonging to third parties.
- Violate any other applicable policy of National Home Nurse.
General public
- The National Home Nurse social media sites are intended to provide a place for people to discuss National Home Nurse. All users must comply with our Social Media Policy and National Home Nurse reserves the right to remove any content at its own discretion.
- National Home Nurse expects that users will not post any materials that fall into any of the following categories:
- Defame, abuse, harass, stalk, threaten or otherwise violate the legal rights (such as rights of privacy and publicity) of others.
- Publish, post, distribute or disseminate any defamatory, infringing, obscene, indecent, misleading or unlawful material or information.
- Publish, post, distribute or disseminate any confidential or copyrighted information (music, videos, text, etc.) that belongs to third parties.
- Upload or attach files that contain viruses, corrupted files, or any other similar software programs that may damage the operation of another’s computer.
Privacy and security
All employees, contractors, and visitors must obtain the relevant approval prior to posting any public representation of National Home Nurse on social media sites. National Home Nurse reserves the right to remove any content at its own discretion.
Monitoring social media sites
Social media sites may be monitored in accordance with the Internet, email and computer policy. Monitoring takes place for the purposes of compliance with the Code of Conduct and other policies relating to standards of behaviour and conduct, and this policy.
Breach of policy
Apart from the potentially adverse effects a blog or social networking entry may have on National Home Nurse, once information or images have been posted on social media, it can be seen by many and it is not possible to prevent its spread by others. Social media activities internally and externally of National Home Nurse must be in line with appropriate conduct and the laws relating to defamation, bullying and harassment apply.
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