Privacy Policy & Business Statement

Social Media Policy

Contents

1. Introduction
2. Scope
3. Relevant Social Media
4. Applicable use
5. Consequences of breaches
6. Responsibility for Implementation
7. Compliance with related policies and agreements
8. Procedure for business use of social media
9. Use of social media in recruitment
10. Personal use of social media
11. Responsible use of social media
12. Monitoring of use
13. Review

1. Introduction

1.1 Stockdale Legal Limited uses social media to support our clients and raise awareness of the firm. 

Stockdale does use social media sites, e.g. Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin.  John Stockdale is responsible for reviewing the firm’s participation in and use of social media in our firm. He must be informed of any issues, problems or developments concerning social media and will conduct a review of our participation or use at least annually.

Stockdale recognises that employees may wish to participate in or use social media for personal use. No employee must in any way bring the firm, its clients or its business partners into disrepute. You must not publish any information particularly any confidential or sensitive information relating to them when using social media.

Any breach of these rules will be dealt with through the firm’s disciplinary procedures.

1.2 John Stockdale leads our firm’s social media work. No other employee or person is authorised to participate in the firm’s social media activities without agreement.

1.3 Stockdale participates in the following social media site(s):  Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook.  Information posted or viewed on social media sites may constitute published material. Therefore, reproduction of information posted or otherwise available over the internet may only be done by John Stockdale who has delegated with authority to do this on behalf of the firm.

1.4 Employees must not act in such a way as to breach copyright or the licensing conditions of any internet site or computer program. Any breach of our social media rules or guidance will be dealt with through our disciplinary procedures.

2 Scope

2.1 This policy covers all individuals working at all levels and grades, including partners, senior managers, officers, directors, employees, consultants, contractors, trainees, home workers, part-time and fixed-term employees, casual and agency staff and volunteers, collectively referred to as staff in this policy.

2.2 Third parties who have access to the firm’s electronic communication systems and equipment are also required to comply with this policy.

3 Relevant social media

3.1 This policy deals with the use of all forms of social media, including, though not exclusively and exhaustively:

• Facebook;
• LinkedIn;
• Twitter;
• Wikipedia;
• all other social networking sites and all internet postings, including blogs.

4 Applicable use

4.1 The policy applies to business and personal use of social media whether:

(a) during office hours or otherwise;

(b) it is accessed using the firm’s IT facilities and equipment;

(c) it is accessed using equipment belonging to members of staff.

5 Consequences of breach

5.1 Breaching this policy may result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal. Disciplinary action may be taken regardless of whether the breach is committed during working hours, and regardless of whether the firm’s equipment or facilities are used for the purpose of committing the breach.

5.2 Any member of staff suspected of committing a breach of this policy will be required to co-operate with the firm’s investigation, which may involve handing over relevant passwords and login details.

5.3 Staff may be required to remove internet postings which are deemed to constitute a breach of this policy, and failure to comply with such a request may in itself result in disciplinary action.

5.4 John Stockdale has the responsibility for ensuring that any person who may be involved with administration or investigations carried out under this policy receives regular and appropriate training to assist them with these duties.

6 Responsibility for implementation

6.1 John Stockdale has overall responsibility for the effective operation of this policy.  Responsibility for monitoring the operation of this policy lies with John Stockdale.

6.2 Questions regarding the content or application of this policy should be directed to John Stockdale.

6.3 All partners and managers have a responsibility to maintain compliance with this policy by ensuring that all members of staff understand the standards of behaviour expected of them, and by taking action when behaviour falls below what is required. Relevant training will be provided to enable individuals to do this.

6.4 Every member of staff has a responsibility to comply with this policy and must ensure that they take the time to read and understand it.

6.5 Any misuse of social media should be reported to John Stockdale.

7 Compliance with related policies and agreements

Prohibited use and content

7. 1 Social media should never be used in a way that breaches any of the firm’s policies. If an internet post were to breach any of the firm’s policies in another forum, it would also breach them in an online forum. For example, partners and staff are prohibited from using social media to:

• breach the firm’s electronic information and communications systems policy;
• breach the firm’s obligations with respect to the rules of relevant regulatory bodies;
• breach any obligations they may have relating to confidentiality;
• breach the firm’s disciplinary rules;
• defame or disparage the organisation or its affiliates, clients, business partners, suppliers, vendors or other stakeholders;
• harass or bully other staff in any way;
• breach the firm’s anti-harassment and bullying policy;
• unlawfully discriminate against other staff or third parties;
• breach the firm’s equality and diversity policy;
• breach the firm’s data protection policy (for example, by disclosing personal information about a colleague online);
• breach any other laws or ethical standards (for example, using social media in a false or misleading way, such as by claiming to be someone other than themselves or by making misleading statements);
• provide references for other individuals on social or professional networking sites, because such references, either positive or negative, can be attributed to the firm, and create legal liability for both the author of the reference and the firm.

7. 2 Breaches of any of the above policies will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.

8 Procedure for the business use of social media

8.1 Anyone who is required to use social media on behalf of the firm must seek approval for such communication from John Stockdale, who will ensure that the following conditions are met:

(a) The communication has been approved by the appropriate head of department.

(b) Client confidentiality is maintained.

(c) Any information relating to the firm is accurate and can be used without breaching or jeopardising the firm’s ability to maintain confidentiality of its strategic and business information.

(d) The firm’s logo and/or colour scheme(s) is/are used in compliance with firm wide protocols for their use.

(e) The SRA Code of Conduct and all legislative and regulatory requirements and restrictions are complied with.

8.2 The firm will ensure that individuals who are authorised to use social media on its behalf are trained to do so.

8.3 Anyone who is contacted for comments about the firm with a view to publication anywhere, including in any social media outlet, must direct the enquiry to John Stockdale and only act in accordance with his subsequent instructions.

9 Use of social media in recruitment

9.1 The firm may use internet searches to perform due diligence on candidates in the course of recruitment. Where this is done, the firm will act in accordance with its data protection and equality and diversity obligations. The Information Commissioner has published guidance on the use of social media in recruitment which should be followed.

10 Personal use of social media

10.1 Stockdale recognises that employees may wish to participate in or use social media for personal use. No employee must in any way bring the firm, its staff, its existing or prospective clients or third-party individuals/entities connected to the firm into disrepute or publish any information, particularly anything confidential or sensitive, relating to them when participating in, using or publishing content on any social media site or channel.

10.2 Any breach of our social media rules or guidance will be considered a disciplinary matter to be dealt with through our disciplinary procedures.

11 Responsible use of social media

11.1 Given below are common sense guidelines and recommendations for using social media responsibly and safely.

11.2 Protecting the firm’s business reputation:

(a) Staff must not post disparaging or defamatory statements about:

• the firm;

• the firm’s clients;

• suppliers and vendors;

• other affiliates and stakeholders.

(b) Staff must avoid social media communications that might be misconstrued in a way that could damage the firm’s business reputation, even indirectly.

(c) Staff must make it clear in social media postings that they are speaking on their own behalf; write in the first person; and use a personal email address when communicating via social media.

(d) Staff are personally responsible for what they communicate in social media and should remember that what they publish might remain available for reading for a long time by anyone, including people inside or outside the firm, future employers and social acquaintances.

(e) If any social media communication discloses affiliation as an employee of the firm, individuals must make it clear that their views do not represent those of the firm. The following phrase must be inserted at the beginning of the communication:

• The views in this policy do not represent the views of my employer.  Individuals must also ensure that their profiles and any content they post convey an image similar to that presented to clients and colleagues.

(f) Comments about sensitive business-related topics, such as the performance of the firm, must not be posted even if it is made clear that the individual’s views on such topics do not represent those of the firm. They could still damage the firm’s reputation.

(g) Any uncertainty or concern about the appropriateness of any statement or posting, must be discussed with John Stockdale prior to use.

(h) If a member of staff sees content in a social media posting that disparages or reflects poorly on the firm or the firm’s stakeholders, he/she should contact one of the partners. Everyone is responsible for protecting the firm’s business reputation.

11.3 Respecting intellectual property and confidential information:

(a) Staff must not do anything to jeopardise the firm’s business and other confidential information and intellectual property through the use of social media.

(b) Staff must avoid misappropriating or infringing the intellectual property of other companies and individuals, which can create liabilities for the firm, as well as the individual author.

(c) Staff must not use the firm’s logos, brand names, slogans or other trademarks, or post any of the firm’s confidential or proprietary information without prior written permission.

(d) In order to protect individuals and the firm against liability for copyright infringement, where appropriate, sources of particular information posted or uploaded must be accurately cited. If there are any questions about whether a particular post or upload might violate copyright or a trademark, John Stockdale must be consulted before making the communication.

(e) The contact details of business acquaintances made during the course of employment are regarded as the firm’s confidential information, and as such, individuals will be required to delete all such details from their personal social networking accounts upon termination of employment.

11.4 Respecting colleagues, clients, partners and suppliers:

(a) Individuals must not post anything:

(i) that colleagues or the firm’s customers, clients, business partners, suppliers, vendors or other stakeholders would find offensive, including discriminatory comments, insults or obscenities;

(ii) relating to colleagues or the firm’s clients, business partners, suppliers, vendors or other stakeholders without their written permission.

12 Monitoring of use

12.1 The contents of the firm’s IT resources and communications systems are the firm’s property. Therefore, staff should have no expectation of privacy in any message, file, data, document, facsimile, telephone conversation, social media post, conversation or message, or any other kind of information or communications transmitted to, received or printed from, or stored or recorded on the firm’s electronic information and communications systems.

12.2 The firm reserves the right to, and will from time to time, monitor, intercept and review, without further notice, staff activities using the firm’s IT resources and communications systems, including, but not limited to, social media postings and activities, in order to ensure that this policy is being complied with, and for legitimate business purposes.

12.3 Individuals consent to such monitoring by their acknowledgement of this policy and their use of such resources and systems. This might include, without limitation, the monitoring, interception, accessing, recording, disclosing, inspecting, reviewing, retrieving and printing of transactions, messages, communications, postings, log-ins, recordings and other uses of the systems, as well as keystroke capturing and other network monitoring technologies.

12.4 The firm may store copies of such data or communications for a period of time after they are created and may delete such copies from time to time without notice.

12.5 Members of staff must not use the firm’s IT resources and communications systems for any matter that they wish to be kept private or confidential from the firm.

13 Review of this policy

13.1 John Stockdale will review this policy at least annually to ensure that it:

(a) meets legal requirements;

(b) reflects best firm; and

(c) is in effective use throughout the firm.