Use of social media at work
Employees can use social media at work for personal use, on our computers or devices, provided that:
- they follow our information security policy
- it does not impact on their job
- it does not interfere with other work colleagues doing their job
Employees should limit their personal use of social media to their own time. Personal time is before or after work and during rest or lunch breaks. Usually, employees must not use our computers or devices for personal use, outside of normal working hours.
Employees must limit their use of social media on their own equipment to their personal time.
Employees may use IT-approved social media websites and feeds as part of their normal work duties. The manager must agree to such usage in advance.
Social media monitoring
We reserve the right to monitor employees' use of social media on our equipment. The following are valid reasons for checking an employee's internet usage:
- spending an excessive amount of time using social media when they should be working
- spending an excessive amount of time using social media for a non-work-related activity
- breaching the rules set out in any policy
- breaching our code of conduct
Our impact assessment ensures that monitoring is necessary and proportionate. It will ensure compliance with this policy on the use of social media.
Monitoring will consist of checking
- social media sites visited
- duration of visits
- content that the employee has contributed to such sites
If we believe an employee has breached our rules, we may share the information obtained through monitoring with:
- the head of HR
- the employee's manager
- audit
- security
- IMT staff
We retain the information gathered through monitoring only long enough for:
- any breach of this policy to come to light
- for any investigation
Managers will only disclose information obtained through monitoring to third parties where we have to report matters to:
- a regulatory authority
- a law enforcement agency
- other professional regulatory body
Employees have several rights concerning their data. They have the right to:
- make a subject access request
- have data rectified
- have data erased in some circumstances
For more details about employees' rights, read our data protection policy.
Employees may contribute to our social media activities (for example, by running a council-owned Twitter account). Employees must be aware at all times that they are representing us.
Employees should use the same safeguards as they would with any other form of communication about us. These safeguards include:
- the communication must have a purpose and a benefit for us
- having permission from a manager before using social media for a public campaign
- requesting a colleague to check the content before it is published
Any communications that employees make in a professional capacity through social media must not:
- bring us into disrepute, for example by referring to customers or colleagues
- make defamatory comments about individuals or other organisations or groups
- post an image that is inappropriate or links to inappropriate content
- breach confidentiality, for example by revealing information owned by us
- give away confidential information about an individual or organisation
- discuss our internal workings (such as its plans that have not been communicated to the public)
- breach copyright, for example by using someone else's images or written content without permission
- fail to acknowledge where we have permission to reproduce something
- do anything that could be considered discriminatory, bullying or harassment. For example, making offensive comments relating to any protected characteristic in law.
- use social media to bully another individual
- post an image that is discriminatory or offensive or links to such content
Managers may withdraw access to social media in any case of misuse.