3.1. Breach Use of social media which contravenes Ermha s Social Media Policy, any other Ermha Policy, or the law.

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1 PURPOSE Social media is a highly accessible and scalable publishing tool that brings many benefits as well as some risks. Social media is variously defined as a professional, public and private space, and OH&S legislation now considers social media to be an extension of the workplace in certain contexts. Ermha hopes to support staff to establish a culture of openness, trust and integrity in our online activities and manage risk; both personally and professionally The social media policy is designed to provide staff with clarity regarding the way organisation intends to use Social Media, and the ways the organisation will protect staff privacy and safety The social media policy provides clear instruction to staff on what is considered appropriate conduct while using social media, particularly where the organisation s reputation, or other staff and client privacy or safety is at risk. SCOPE 2.1. All staff DEFINITIONS 3.1. Breach Use of social media which contravenes Ermha s Social Media Policy, any other Ermha Policy, or the law Social Media Social media is defined as any digital tool for publishing and sharing information online including social networking and micro blogging sites (Facebook, Twitter etc.), video and photo sharing sites (YouTube, Flickr etc.) and online forums, blogs and comments on news sites Staff Includes all employees, volunteers, students and contractors Personal Usage The use of a social media account that has been set up by an individual to share their own thoughts and experiences outside of the Ermha community, such as with family and friends Professional Usage The use of an Ermha social media account that has been set up to share Ermha thoughts, experiences and information with the community in a regulated environment Recommendations Recommendations are guidelines designed to encourage content that adds value and promote the safe use of social media Regulations Rules that must be followed within the context of Erma s Social Media Policy, and all other Ermha policies Emergency A sudden, urgent and unexpected occurrence requiring immediate action, which if unattended is likely to cause harm to people, property or to the organisation as a whole; including to the organisation s reputation. Page 1 of 5

2 BACKGROUND 4.1. Social media tools are used to disseminate information about our brand, to acknowledge feedback and share the valuable thoughts of others as well as Ermha. These tools are designed to complement Ermha s existing marketing and communications activity and allow the organisation to enter a continuously growing space Victoria accounts for 25% of Australia s internet usage and 4 in 5 of the state s population uses social media and its popularity is on the rise. This means that statistically nearly all Ermha staff will be using or will have used social media It is important that Ermha remains accountable for its actions and that Ermha promotes the safe use of social media both in the workplace and at home. It is for these reasons that Ermha has created a social media policy and it is important that this policy is read and understood by all staff. POLICY 5.1. Ermha will use professional social media appropriately and safely to enhance its current marketing and communications activity The Communications Consultant will offer advice to staff on the appropriate and safe use of professional social media and will be available to answer any questions from staff, clients or the public Staff will ensure that their use of personal social media is confined to work breaks Staff will take responsibility for using social media safely, and ask for assistance in doing so if required. PROCEDURE 6.1. Staff will sign the declaration at the bottom of this policy to acknowledge that they understand Ermha s Social Media Policy Personal usage regulations Ermha acknowledges that many people will use social media in their personal life and does not intend to discourage online activity or freedom of expression; however, it does aim to minimise the risk of damage to Ermha s reputation. Ermha seeks to advise staff on its perception of safest practice Where your comments or profile can identify you as an Ermha staff member, you must: a) Respect the reputation of Ermha. b) Show respect for those you interact with. c) Only disclose and discuss publicly available information. d) Use social media in a way that does not affect your work performance. e) Express that your opinions are your own when posting on social media and acknowledge that you are not authorised to speak on behalf of Ermha without permission. Page 2 of 5

3 f) Respect the privacy of Ermha staff members, clients and carers when using social media (this includes not posting full names and photographs that associates the individual with Ermha). g) Use your personal address to sign up to social media (not the Ermha address). h) Respect that Ermha is a non-religious, non-partisan organisation and so does not endorse particular politics or beliefs; Ermha celebrates diversity and is committed to inclusion through respect. i) Adhere to the Terms of Use of the relevant social media platform/website, as well as copyright, privacy, defamation, discrimination, harassment, other applicable laws, and Ermha s policies and procedures Personal Use Recommendations Staff should consider the following best practice recommendations: a) Referring to yourself as an employee of Ermha can increase your exposure online. If you would like to limit your exposure it is best not to mention your place of work. b) If you are concerned about secondary connections; consider not accepting friend requests from colleagues who identify as an employee of Ermha. c) Publishing identifiable details online (such as your phone number, home address, car registration or workplace) can put you at risk online (as it could in the newspaper, on television or to a stranger) so it is best to limit personal information to either your first name or your first and last names only. d) Most social media sites will allow you to set your own privacy settings. This is so that people you don t know can t view the information that you choose to share with your accepted friends, family members, colleagues and acquaintances. It is best to adopt the highest privacy settings at all times, especially in relation to who can view your images. e) Ermha will post online and it is likely that you will support or hold an opinion on this content. Staff support on social media is great but if you are worried that engaging with Ermha s social media will identify you as an employee and you don t want that to happen then it is best not to engage in the conversation. f) Some opinions can be offensive to others and it is best to think carefully about what you share, always consider, Would I be happy for my friends, family and colleagues to see this? 6.4. Professional usage regulations Ermha will be active in social media spaces and will engage in a number of online conversations. This section of the policy is designed to hold authorised Ermha employees accountable to the content that is posted via social media as well as to ensure that staff are engaging with professional social media appropriately The Manager Quality Services will oversee professional use of social media to ensure that it adheres to the Social Media Policy The Communications Consultant will review and publish all Ermha social media posts When using an Ermha social media account, Staff must; a) Only post as an Ermha social media administrator if authorised to do so. b) Follow all Ermha policies and procedures when posting using an Ermha social media account. c) Respect copyright and the intellectual property of others by always including a link or citing the source if the idea is not their own. Page 3 of 5

4 d) Respect the privacy of Ermha staff, clients or carers by not using their image, name or role at Ermha without their consent. (Using a pseudonym can be appropriate at times). e) Respect their audience by eliminating discriminatory, defamatory, abusive, threatening, hateful, racist, sexist, sexually explicit, violent, bloody or gory, terrorist related, political or confidential statements from social media content. f) Ensure all claims are credited to reliable sources and provide research or evidence to support content accused of being false or misleading. g) Only delete posts if there are exceptional circumstances. Social media is a form of two-way communication and that it is valuable to listen to the views of the wider community. Deleting posts significantly reduces the usefulness and impact of social media, however under exceptional circumstances, a post will be removed and where possible the user whose post was removed will be contacted with an explanation for its removal. h) Adhere to the Terms of Use of the relevant social media platform/website, as well as copyright, privacy, defamation, discrimination, harassment and other applicable laws, and all Ermha policies and procedures Staff should consider the following recommendations when using Ermha Social Media accounts: a) Suggest any social media content that will add value to the Communications Consultant to potentially be posted online. b) Consider the target audience when drafting content to be posted to a social media account. c) Refer to the tone of previous Ermha posts when drafting content Misconduct If you feel your safety has been compromised as a result of social media use, or if you are exposed to content that you feel is bullying or threatening to your person, your family or Ermha and its associates, please report it to the Manager Quality Services immediately Complaints In an emergency, please call Victoria Police on Any individual covered by this policy who feels they have been subjected to abuse, harassment, bullying or in any way negatively impacted through social media by a staff member, volunteer or student has the right to make a complaint All complaints will be taken seriously and handled in accordance with ORG 103 Complaint and Dispute Resolution Policy and Procedure Breach of Policy Managers and Supervisors will deal with breaches of the Social Media Policy in line with HR 325 Disciplinary Action Policy and Procedure. FORMS AND ATTACHMENTS 7.1. Nil RELATED DOCUMENTS Page 4 of 5

5 8.1. ORG 101 Ethical Work Practice Policy and Procedure 8.2. ORG 103 Complaint and Dispute Resolution Policy and Procedure 8.3. ORG 104 Privacy Policy and Procedure 8.4. HR 325 Disciplinary Action Policy and Procedure 8.5. HR 302 Prevention and Management of Discrimination, Harassment, and Bullying Policy and Procedure REFERENCES 9.1. Privacy Act 1998 (Commonwealth) and Australian Privacy Principles 9.2. Information Privacy Act 2000 (Vic) and Information Privacy Principles VERSION CONTROL VERSION NO. DATE APPROVED: SHORT DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT REVIEW DATE: 1. 15/05/2014 New Policy 15/08/ /02/2015 Reviewed 05/02/2017 EMPLOYEE STATEMENT I have read and understand the Ermha Social Media Policy and Procedure, and agree to abide by the regulations for the use of both professional and personal social media. Employee (Name) Employee Signature Date Page 5 of 5