Private use of social media advice provided to employees

James Smith made this Freedom of Information request to WA Department of Education as part of a batch sent to 204 authorities

This request has been closed to new correspondence from the public body. Contact us if you think it ought be re-opened.

The request was refused by WA Department of Education.

Dear WA Department of Education,

This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act.

I request documents related to the ten most recent instances where an employee has sought information, advice, guidance, or opinion on their social media use in a private capacity.

I limit the scope of documents to:
- the original request from the employee
- the agency/department's response
- any follow-up questions and response
- only those sent to a relevant HR / conduct / social media (or similar) team (rather than managers across all areas of the organisation)
- where the original request was created in the last 2 years

Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours faithfully,

James Smith

BROWN Susie [ICT Corp Information Services], WA Department of Education

Attention: Mr James Smith

Dear Mr Smith

Thank you for your Freedom of Information (FOI) application seeking a copy of documents related to the ten most recent instances where an employee has sought information, advice, guidance, or opinion on their social media use in a private capacity over the last two years.

At this stage your application under FOI is not considered valid as no application fee has been received.

However, the Department encourages direct release of documents from the relevant business unit and FOI is seen as a last resort. Information requests are received and managed by the appropriate business unit in line with the devolvement of responsibility for record-keeping to managers. The business unit is able to deal directly with the person making the request and provide what may be released in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the information or documentation provided you may make a formal application to the business unit.

Please let me know if you would like to take the opportunity of this offer, instead of the formal FOI approach, and I will pass your request on to the relevant business unit for consideration.

Alternatively, if you still wish to lodge a formal FOI you will be required to provide:

A non-negotiable application fee of $30 to validate a non-personal FOI application, in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act (1992); and a copy of proof of identity, such as copy of driver's licence, passport or birth certificate is also required. Once the application is valid, I will pass the FOI application on to the relevant business unit to make a decision on access under the FOI Act.

The requirement to prove your identity would also be necessary before release of information under direct release.

Kind regards

Susie Brown
Senior Consultant Information Release
ICT Corporate Information Services
Ph: (08) 9264 5160

29 August 2017

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