BT Group: BT & Social Media
There have been incidents involving BT people using social media sites inappropriately. This briefing will help you to understand your responsibilities when using social media. Social media tools are a way of communicating and sharing opinions and experiences online and are becoming more and more an everyday way in which people communicate.
Examples are blogs, wikis, social networking sites (eg: Facebook & Twitter), podcasts and message boards. However, comments posted, whether during work time or outside working hours and whether using BT equipment or personal equipment, must not cause offence to other BT people or bring BT into disrepute.
It is important to be mindful of how you represent yourself on social media sites as the lines between public and private, personal and professional are becoming increasingly blurred. If you work for BT and participate in a social site, you should ensure that content you post doesn't compromise BT's brand and reputation. Remember, you may well be connected to colleagues and even customers, partners and suppliers. In addition comments that you may think are private may be viewable by others due to your own, or others, privacy settings. Investigations under BTs disciplinary procedures have identified examples of inappropriate behaviour. It is important that you are aware that in some instances this could be viewed as gross misconduct which may result in summary dismissal. Examples of inappropriate behaviours are listed below:
- Derogatory comments about BT,
- Derogatory remarks about BT employees,
- Derogatory remarks about competitors, third parties, partners or suppliers in the context of BT's business
- Harassment/Bullying
- Speculating or commenting on confidential or sensitive company information
This is not an exhaustive list and you should use your common sense and judgement when using these sites. For more information on the BT policies, please view the security pages from a BT connected PC/Laptop at
and BT's conduct standards
http://humanresources.intra.bt.com/10910.
The CWU have made clear that we believe this policy to be too restrictive and open to interpretation, however, it has changed considerably from an earlier draft and BT have not sought our agreement. Clearly the key issue will be the application of the policy by managers and if branches believe it is being unfairly interpreted and applied or abused, then members should inform us.
