Smith Document 2.pdf

Social Media Policy and Guidelines

220 Northbourne Avenue, Braddon ACT 2612
GPO Box 641, Canberra ACT 2601
www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au

Document details
Title/DM/TRIM
Safe Work Australia
TRIM File Number
D13/19424
document ID
Social Media Policy
and Guidelines
Content last updated
10/01/2014
Document status
Final
Due for review
January 2016
Approval authority
Chief Executive Officer Safe Work Australia
Date of approval
20 January 2014
NOTE: This is a controlled document in its electronic form only. Paper copies of this document are not
controlled and should be checked against the electronic version prior to use.

Document change history
Version
Author
Summary of change
0.1
Anthony De Marco
Initial draft
0.2
Ashlyn Barnes
“Acceptable Use” and formatting edits
0.3
Nathan Robertson
Review and changes
0.4
Ashlyn Barnes
Document additional changes
0.5
Nathan Robertson
Review and recommended more changes
0.6
Ashlyn Barnes
Make additional changes
0.7
Nathan Robertson
Added Draft watermark
0.8
Nathan Robertson
Made amendments and added supporting
documents
1.0
Nathan Robertson
Submitted for Review
1.1
Nathan Robertson
Amendments to document content. Added
hyperlinks, more legislation and supporting
documents
1.2
Nathan Robertson
Incorporated comments and feedback from
Strategic Services and Communications and
Publishing Sections
1.3
Nathan Robertson
Incorporated comments and feedback from WCF

Supporting documents
Title
TRIM Document ID
Social Media Guidelines – Communications and Publishing
D13/2272
Social Media – Reporting an Incident
D13/19700
Safe Work Australia Information and Records Management Policy
D12/311
Safe Work Australia Information Technology Security Policy
D13/5989
Safe Work Australia Protective Security Policy
D13/4701

2

Social Media Policy
1.
Purpose
This policy establishes a framework for the official, personal and acceptable use of social
media. It has been developed to inform agency staff about using social media in an official
and personal capacity, their responsibilities and obligations under the Australian Public
Service (APS) Values and APS Code of Conduct.
Social media are online services and tools used for publishing, sharing and discussing
information. They can include forums, blogs, wikis, social networking site and websites
allowing individual users to easily upload and share content.
2.
Scope
This policy applies to:
  all Safe Work Australia staff including non-ongoing staff, and
  all consultants and service providers engaged by Safe Work Australia.
3.
Principles for using social media
Safe Work Australia recognises the value of using social media to build more meaningful
relationships with the community, other agencies and our Members.
Making public comment online is becoming increasingly common for APS staff in
professional and personal capacities. Staff can make public comment on blogs, social
networking sites, micro-blogging sites, forum sites and online news sites.
Agency staff must be aware that the APS Values and APS Code of Conduct apply when
using social media.
These principles apply to the online environment as with any other kind of public comment.
There are considerations that apply to online participation including:
  the speed and reach of online communication means comments posted online are
available immediately to a wide audience, and
  material online lasts forever, can be replicated endlessly and can be sent to
recipients who were never expected to see it or who view it out of context.
4.
Legislation and references important to social media
  Safe Work Australia Social Media Guidelines Communications and Publishing
  Safe Work Australia Information Technology Security Policy
  Safe Work Australia Protective Security Policy
  Safe Work Australia Information and Records Management Policy
  The Department’s Information Technology  Security Policy
  The Departments Social Media Policy
  The Department’s Social Media Intranet Page
  APS Values
  APS Code of Conduct
  APSC Circular 2012/1
4

  APSC Circular 2013/10
  Engage: Getting on with Government 2.0 report
  Archives Act (1983)
  Freedom of Information Act (1982)
  Privacy Act (1988)
  Crimes Act (1914)
5.
Review
This policy is to be reviewed every two years or earlier if required.
For more information about the social media policy or the related guidelines
contact: Safe Work Australia IT Services

5

Social Media Guidelines
1. Safe Work Australia’s use of social media
Safe Work Australia’s Communication and Publishing Section manages the official social
media and social networking accounts/pages. There are specific staff within the
Communication and Publishing Section who are responsible for engaging with the public in
an official capacity online.
Staff from other branches may be asked to assist the Communication and Publishing
Section with this work. When engaging online on behalf of Safe Work Australia you must
ensure:
  you inform and request the Communication and Publishing Section of any
comment you want posted online
  you do not disclose personal information on social media sites. Note - if you email
a member of the public directly to resolve an issue outside of the social media
site, you must use a  group email address, and
  you respect copyright, privacy, financial disclosure and other applicable laws
when publishing on social media platforms.
Staff responding to social media comments on behalf of Safe Work Australia should refer to
the related guideline: Social media guidelines - Communications and Publishing.
1.1  Bringing issues to Safe Work Australia’s attention
If you find information online that Safe Work Australia should respond to or seek to have
removed, complete a Social Media Incident Report Form and submit to the Director,
Communications and Publishing Section for appropriate action within two business days.
All Social Media Incident Report forms once actioned must be provided to Safe Work
Australia’s Security Team to review and investigate if required.
1.2  Representing Safe Work Australia
When representing Safe Work Australia online you must:
  disclose you are a staff member of Safe Work Australia and be clear about your
role and responsibilities
  ensure you adhere to the apolitical nature of the APS. The role of APS staff in
referring to government policy is to help to explain it, or to provide information
about its implementation - rather than to promote or ‘market’ a policy or initiative
  undertake training when requested to do so
  be aware of the terms and conditions of use governing the website upon which
you upload or contribute material. These terms and conditions may determine the
intellectual property rights and access to content uploaded to a particular website,
and
6

  act within the principles of the APS Values and Code of Conduct.
1.3  Capturing official posts as records
Safe Work Australia staff engaging with the public through social media sites for official work
purposes must capture a copy of the post as a record in Safetydocs.
Staff responding to a comment on social media must capture the entire conversation as a
record in Safetydocs.
2. Personal use of social media
Safe Work Australia supports staff who choose to use social media in their capacity as
private citizens. Agency staff participating in discussions not directly related to their work but
which draws on their expertise in a field would be considered as being in a personal
capacity. However staff should be aware content published on social media sites on their
personal accounts may be publicly available. You must ensure:
  your behaviour still adheres to the APS Values and Code of Conduct outside of
work hours
  you must not make obscene, defamatory, threatening, harassing, discriminatory
or hateful comments to or about your work or another person or entity, and
  your comments are not or could be perceived to be:
o  made on behalf of Safe Work Australia or the Australian Government, rather
than an expression of a personal view
o  so harsh or extreme in your criticism of the Australian Government, a member
of parliament from another political party, or their respective policies, that they
raise questions about your capacity to work professionally, efficiently or
impartially as an APS staff member (such comments would not have to relate
to the Agency’s staff member’s area of work)
o  compromising your capacity to fulfill your duties as an APS staff member in an
unbiased manner. This applies particularly where comment is made about
policies and services of Safe Work Australia
o  so strong in your criticism of Safe Work Australia’s administration that it could
seriously disrupt the workplace. APS staff members are encouraged instead to
resolve concerns by informal discussion with a manager or by using internal
dispute resolution mechanisms, including the APS whistleblowing scheme if
appropriate
o  a gratuitous personal attack connected with your employment
o  unreasonable criticism of Safe Work Australia’s clients and member
organisations
o  compromising public confidence in Safe Work Australia or the APS, or
o  revealing information about Safe Work Australia that isn’t publicly available.
7

If you are unsure about any of these matters, you can also consult with the Communications
and Publishing Section prior to posting comments.
2.1  Discussing Safe Work Australia and its work
Agency staff should not involve themselves in online discussions in a personal capacity
about Safe Work Australia and its work.
2.2  Making personal comments in social media
When considering making personal comments you must consider the following questions:
  Could the comments reasonably be expected to cause Safe Work Australia’s
Members or clients, including members of Parliament—whether members of the
Government, the Opposition, independents, or other parties—to lose confidence
in the staff member’s ability to work in an impartial and professional manner?
  Would comments of this kind, without proper justification, be likely to lower or
undermine the reputation of Safe Work Australia or the APS as a whole?
  Are these comments in line with how the community in general expects the public
service to operate and behave?
  Are these comments lawful? For example, do they comply with anti-
discrimination legislation and laws relating to defamation?
  Would you be comfortable if your manager read your comments?
8

3. Acceptable use of social media
Access to and use of social media via Safe Work Australia’s IT systems are for:
  official purposes including representing Safe Work Australia online, or engaging
in professional development forums or activities - prior authorisation for this
purpose is required through the relevant approval process, and
  unofficial reasonable use, consistent with this policy and Safe Work Australia’s
Protective Security Policy and IT Security Policy.
Except where specifically authorised Safe Work Australia employees and contractors must
not develop or provide content for social media that:
  attempts to speak, or could be interpreted as speaking on behalf of Safe Work
Australia or the Australian Government
  commits Safe Work Australia or the Australian Government to any action or
initiative
  relates to controversial, sensitive, political or confidential matters
  could be interpreted as infringing on the apolitical position of the APS, or
  could bring Safe Work Australia or the APS into disrepute.
3.1  Respecting online etiquette
To respect online etiquette you must:
  adhere to the terms of use, and seek to conform to the cultural and behavioral
norms of the social media platform being used
  be respectful of individuals and communities you interact with
  be polite and respectful of others’ opinions even in times of heated discussion
and debate, and
  ensure you do not post material that is obscene, defamatory, threatening,
harassing, discriminatory or hateful to another person or entity.
4. Privacy and security online
If you identify yourself as an employee of Safe Work Australia in a social media site whether
for official or personal use, you must be aware this information is searchable, even by people
who are not your ‘friends’ or ‘followers’.
Staff must agree to the terms and conditions and privacy notices of the social media sites
they use and adjust their settings according to their own needs. Staff must not rely on a
site’s security settings for a guarantee of privacy, as material posted in relatively secure
settings can still be copied and reproduced elsewhere.
9

Comments posted on one site can also be used on others under the terms and conditions of
many social media sites.
APS staff members must uphold the APS Values and Code of Conduct even when material
is posted anonymously, or using an ‘alias’ or pseudonym. They must bear in mind even if
they do not identify themselves online as an APS staff member or a staff member of Safe
Work Australia, they could nonetheless be recognised.
Social media websites are public forums. Irrespective of the forum, anyone who posts
material online should make an assumption at some point their identity and the nature of
their employment will be revealed.
Inappropriate public comment on such sites could put staff members at risk of breaching the
APS Code of Conduct. If staff members have concerns they should seek advice from the
People and Performance Section.
5. Breaches of this policy
As a member of the APS the behavior of staff, both in and out of the workplace, must be in
line with the APS Values and Code of Conduct.
It is important to understand failure to adhere to the APS Values and Code of Conduct can
result in a range of sanctions including reprimands, reduction in classification and
termination of employment.
Examples of failure to adhere to the Code of Conduct in a social media setting include a
Safe Work Australia staff member:
  tweets or puts on Facebook derogatory comments about Safe Work Australia’s
staff, Members or services from their personal Social Media account, or
  discloses non-publicly available information about policies or services.
The role of the Communications and Publishing Section is to monitor social media. Where
necessary and appropriate, the People and Performance Section may be alerted to
comments posted by staff on social media sites that may breach this policy.
Staff in breach of this policy will be contacted to discuss their online behaviour online. Where
appropriate, a person’s manager may also be contacted.
In situations where a staff member’s online behaviour potentially breaches the APS Values
or Code of Conduct, the issue will be referred to the People and Performance Section and
the Agency Security Advisor (ASA) for investigation and action.
6. Providing information in social media
Safe Work Australia has guidelines relating to the clearance of materials for public release
that must be adhered to. If you require clarification you should consult with the
Communications and Publishing Section.
When providing information on behalf of Safe Work Australia you must:
10

  disclose only publicly available information or other information you are
authorised to release
  only offer information, support or comment on topics that fall within your area of
responsibility
  provide a direct link to information where it is available on the internet, so if
changes are made to the content/rules, people continue to access the most
current information, and
  ensure any content you publish is factually accurate and complies with privacy
guidelines.
7. APS Code of Conduct obligations
Safe Work Australia staff must at all times adhere to the APS Values and Code of Conduct.
APS staff members are required to act honestly, professionally, with respect and courtesy in
connection with APS employment.

11