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Queen's Award for Voluntary Service Winners 2022

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Social Media Policy

1. General

1.1 This policy on social networking websites is in addition to the Company’s policy on e-mail and internet use.

2. Personal use of the internet

2.1 TMSTC(NW) does not allow access to social networking websites from its computers at any time.

3. Monitoring of internet access at work

3.1 The Company reserves the right to monitor your internet usage. We consider that valid reasons for checking your internet usage include suspicions that you have:

  • been spending an excessive amount of time viewing websites that are not work-related; or
  • acted in a way that damages the reputation of the Company and/or breaches commercial confidentiality.

3.2 The Company reserves the right to retain information that it has gathered on employees’ use of the internet for a period of one year.

3.3 You must not pass comment on social media which will, or could, bring the Company into disrepute or which could have the effect of breaching confidentially. Nor must social media be used to harass, intimidate, bully, or discriminate against colleagues or their families and associates. Any breach of this requirement, whether or not done from work, home or in any other private environment/capacity is likely to be considered an act of gross misconduct.

4. Disciplinary action

4.1 If, as a result of monitoring your private or work internet use to ensure it is in accordance with this policy, we believe that you have misused this facility, if appropriate, disciplinary action may also be taken in line with the Company’s disciplinary policy.

5. Security and identity theft

5.1 You should not assume that your entries on any website will remain private. You should never send abusive or defamatory messages.

5.2 You must also be security conscious and should take steps to protect yourself from identity theft, for example by restricting the amount of personal information that you give out. In addition, you should:

  • ensure that no information is made available that could provide a person with unauthorised access to the Company and/or any confidential information; and
  • refrain from recording any confidential information regarding the Company on unauthorised website.

6. Recruitment

6.1 At no stage during the recruitment process will managers conduct searches on prospective employees on social networking websites.

Doc PP63  Rev 001