Social Media Policy In our Practice

PURPOSE

George Street Family Medical Practice recognizes that the internet provides unique opportunities to participate in interactive discussions and share information on particular topics using a wide variety of social media, such as Face book, Twitter, blogs and wikis. However, employees’ use of social media can pose risks to George Street Family Medical Practice’s confidential and proprietary information, reputation and brands, and can jeopardize the company’s compliance with business rules and laws. To minimize these business and legal risks, to avoid loss of productivity and distraction from employees’ job performance and to ensure that the company’s IT resources and communications systems are used only for appropriate business purposes, George Street Family Medical Practice expects its employees to adhere to the following guidelines and rules regarding use of social media. Apart from personal use of social media in accordance with this policy, George Street Family Medical Practice encourages its employees to participate responsibly in these media as a means of generating interest in George Street Family Medical Practice’s [products/services] and creating business opportunities so long as all of [George Street Family Medical Practice rules and guidelines regarding social media usage, particularly in a business context, are adhered to] OR George Street Family Medical Practice takes no position as to its employees’ participation in these media for business purposes].

COMPLIANCE WITH RELATED POLICIES AND AGREEMENTS

 All of George Street Family Medical Practice’s other policies that might apply to use of social media remain in full force and effect. Employees should always adhere to them when using social media. In particular, the following policies should be kept in mind:

• Accessing the internet
• Privacy and confidentiality obligations
• Privacy and security of personal health information
• Practice Privacy Policy

Social media should never be used in a way that violates any other [George Street Family Medical Practice policies or employee obligations. If your post would violate any of George Street Family Medical Practice]’s policies in another forum, it will also violate them in an online forum. For example, employees are prohibited from using social media to: „

• Violate George Street Family Medical Practice’s IT resources and communications systems policies. „
• Violate George Street Family Medical Practice’s confidentiality and proprietary rights policies. „
• Circumvent George Street Family Medical Practice’s ethics and standards of conduct policies. „
• Defame or disparage George Street Family Medical Practice or its affiliates, customers, clients, business partners, suppliers, vendors or other stakeholders. 
• Harass other employees in any way. „
• Circumvent policies prohibiting unlawful discrimination against current employees or applicants for employment. „
•  Violate George Street Family Medical Practice’s privacy policies (for example, never access private password protected sites of co-workers or other George Street Family Medical Practice stakeholders without permission). „
• Violate any other laws or ethical standards (for example, never use social media in a false or misleading way, such as by claiming to be someone other than you or by creating an artificial “buzz” around our business, products or stock). [Employees should also never provide references for stakeholders on social or professional networking sites, as such references, positive and negative, can be attributed to George Street Family Medical Practice and create legal liability for yourself George Street Family Medical Practice (such as interference with prospective business contracts and allegations of wrongful termination)]. Employees who violate George Street Family Medical Practice policies will be subject to discipline, up to and including termination of employment.

PERSONAL USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

Personal use of social media is never permitted on working time or by means of the company’s computers, networks and other IT resources and communications systems.

NO EXPECTATION OF PRIVACY

All contents of George Street Family Medical Practice’s IT resources and communications systems are the property of the company. Therefore, employees should have no expectation of privacy whatsoever in any message, files, 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 company’s electronic information and communications systems. You are expressly advised that in order to prevent misuse, George Street Family Medical Practice reserves the right to monitor, intercept and review, without further notice, every employee’s activities using the company’s IT resources and communications systems, including but not limited to social media postings and activities, and you consent to such monitoring by your acknowledgement of this policy and your 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. The company also 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. Do not use the company’s IT resources and communications systems for any matter that you desire to be kept private or confidential from the company.

BUSINESS USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

 If you are required to use social media as part of your job duties, for the company’s marketing, public relations, recruitment, corporate communications or other business purposes, you should carefully review George Street Family Medical Practice. If your job duties require you to speak on behalf of the company in a social media environment, you must still seek approval for such communication from Anna-lee Downes or Dr Syed Noor, who may require training before you do so and impose certain requirements and restrictions with regard to your activities. Likewise, if you are contacted for comment about George Street Family Medical Practice for publication, including in any social media outlet, direct the inquiry to Anna-lee Downes or Dr Syed Noor and do not respond without written approval.

GUIDELINES FOR EMPLOYEES’ RESPONSIBLE USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

The above material covers specific rules, policies and contractual obligations that employees must follow in using social media, whether for personal or business purposes, in consideration of their employment and subject to discipline for violations. The following sections of the policy provide employees with common-sense guidelines and recommendations for using social media responsibly and safely, in the best interests of George Street Family Medical Practice]. These guidelines reflect the “duty of loyalty” every employee owes its employer, and are intended to add to, not contradict, limit or replace, the applicable mandatory rules, policies and contractual obligations above.\

PROTECT THE COMPANY’S GOODWILL, BRANDS AND BUSINESS GEORGE STREET FAMILY MEDICAL PRACTICE prohibits you from posting disparaging or defamatory statements about the company or its business interests (see above), but you should also avoid social media communications that might be misconstrued in a way that could damage the company’s goodwill and business reputation, even indirectly

Make it clear in your social media postings that you are speaking on your own behalf. Write in the first person and use your personal e-mail address when communicating via social media. You are personally responsible for what you communicate in social media. Remember that what you publish might be available to be read by the masses (including the company itself, future employers and social acquaintances) for a long time. Keep this in mind before you post content. If you disclose your affiliation as an employee of George Street Family Medical Practice it is recommended that you also include a disclaimer that your views do not represent those of your employer. For example, consider such language as “the views in this posting do not represent the views of my employer.” If you communicate about your work or George Street Family Medical Practice in general, you should disclose your connection to and role at George Street Family Medical Practice, but be sure to reiterate that your views do not necessarily represent those of George Street Family Medical Practice. Use good judgment about what you post and remember that anything you say can reflect on George Street Family Medical Practice even if you do include a disclaimer. Always strive to be accurate in your communications about George Street Family Medical Practice and remember that your statements have the potential to result in liability for yourself or George Street Family Medical Practice. Be respectful to George Street Family Medical Practice and be professional and honest in your communications. If you are uncertain or concerned about the appropriateness of any statement or posting, refrain from making the communication until you discuss it with Anna-lee Downes or Dr Syed Noor.  If you see content in social media that disparages or reflects poorly on George Street Family Medical Practice or its stakeholders, you should contact Anna-lee Downes or Dr Syed Noor. Protecting George Street Family Medical Practice’s goodwill, brands and reputation is every employee’s job.

RESPECT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

George Street Family Medical Practice restricts employees’ use and disclosure of the company’s confidential information and intellectual property (see above). Beyond these mandatory restrictions, you should treat the company’s valuable trade secrets and other confidential information and intellectual property accordingly and not do anything to jeopardize them through your use of social media. In addition, you should avoid misappropriating or infringing the intellectual property of other companies and individuals, which can create liability for yourself and for George Street Family Medical Practice. Do not use the company’s logos, brand names, taglines, slogans or other trademarks, or post any confidential or proprietary information of the company, without prior written permission from the George Street Family Medical Practice legal department. To protect yourself and the company against liability for copyright infringement, where appropriate, reference sources of particular information you post or upload and cite them accurately. If you have any questions about whether a particular post or upload might violate the copyright or trademark of any person or company (outside of “fair use” exceptions), ask the George Street Family Medical Practice legal department before making the communication.

RESPECT AND COMPLY WITH TERMS OF USE OF ALL SITES YOU VISIT

Do not expose yourself or George Street Family Medical Practice to legal risk by using a social media site in violation of its terms of use. Review the terms of use of all social media sites you visit and ensure your use complies with them. Pay particular attention to terms relating to: „ Prohibitions or restrictions on the use of the social media site, including prohibitions or restrictions on use for advertising, marketing and promotions or other commercial purposes (for example, Facebook’s

Statement of Rights and Responsibilities (www.facebook.com/terms.php) (its terms of use) prohibit businesses from administering promotions through Facebook without Facebook’s prior written consent). „ Ownership of intellectual property used on, or information collected or generated through use of, the site (for example, any of the company’s copyrighted material and trademarks that might be posted on the site, or customer information the company collects through the site). Requirements for licenses or other grants allowing use by the site owner and other third parties of the company’s trademarks or other intellectual property. Privacy rights and responsibilities of the site owner and users.

RESPECT YOUR CO-WORKERS

Do not post anything that your co-workers or George Street Family Medical Practice’s customers, clients, business partners, suppliers, vendors or other George Street Family Medical Practice’s stakeholders would find offensive, including ethnic slurs, sexist comments, discriminatory comments, insults or obscenity. Do not post anything related to your co-workers or George Street Family Medical Practice’s customers, clients, business partners, suppliers, vendors or other George Street Family Medical Practice’s stakeholders without their written permission.