Purpose

Social media site usage has increased drastically and many credit unions have a presence on one or more of these sites. Social media has become an important channel for business and personal communication. Social media websites and tools allow companies to develop and enhance their corporate brand and to interact with their members and the public in a way that is relevant, immediate, and wide-ranging. CSE Federal Credit Union (“Credit Union”) wishes to utilize social media where appropriate, as a platform for mass collaboration, in establishing an electronic media communication connection between CSE, its members, and the public. The purpose of this policy is to protect the integrity of CSE, its employees, and members. In this policy, the term “social media” includes public and private websites where users establish relationships with other users and/or publish user-generated content. Examples of social media include social networking websites such as Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, internal weblogs or “blogs”, and Wikis such as Wikipedia. This list in not all-inclusive, as social media tools as well as the number of users of those tools is growing significantly. The distinction between a professional colleague and a social friend is more difficult to recognize with the increase in social media in the workplace. The Credit Union encourages the use of social media as a channel for business communication, consistent with the Credit Union’s corporate marketing and communications strategy. The Credit Union has established this policy to set parameters and controls related to employee usage of social media websites.

Use of Company Systems

The Credit Union may allow access to select pre-approved social media websites. Employees may only access these sites in a manner consistent with the Credit Union’s security protocols and employees may not circumvent IT Security protocols to access social media sites. Employee use of social media websites using company-provided technology may be permitted but should not interfere with employees’ performance or job duties, nor should it violate any provision of the Credit Union’s written Personnel Policy, Standards of Conduct or any of the credit union’s policies or procedures, or applicable law.

(See EXHIBIT “B” of the Personnel Policy Manual - Technical Resources and Usage Policy)

Business Communications and Social Media

Use of social media may be one component of the credit union’s corporate marketing and communications strategy. Procedures have been created to establish, develop and maintain the Credit Union’s Internet presence, and to communicate with members and the public using online resources. Only those employees approved by the Credit Union are authorized to speak on behalf of the credit union in any public medium. This includes but is not limited to radio, television, Web broadcasts, and social media.

Personal and Off-Duty Use of Social Media

The Credit Union has an interest in public statements and other public content that refers to the credit union, its employees, officers, volunteers, and members. It is important to recognize that employee use of social media websites may unintentionally or inadvertently create risks for the Credit Union. These risks include but are not limited to: accusations of harassment, discrimination, and employment-related defamation. Therefore, employees’ personal, off-duty use of social media should be governed as follows:

  • Unless specified in a job description and/or with the express approval of authorized Credit Union representatives, you are not authorized to speak or act on behalf of the Credit Union and, if you identify yourself as an employee of the Credit Union, your posts should state this. A disclaimer should be used when generating content that deals with the Credit Union or individuals associated with the Credit Union. A disclaimer such as, “The following comments are my own. They are not made on behalf of the Credit Union and are not intended to represent the Credit Union’s positions, strategies, or opinions.”

  • Identify yourself as an employee of the Credit Union if you endorse its products through your personal social media communications. This is a legal requirement.

  • Maintain a professional presence; you are responsible for all content posted on your publicly accessible social media page(s) where you could be identified as an employee of the Credit Union.

  • Employees are required to comply with the law when it pertains to postings related to the Credit Union, its vendors, or any other entity the employee may have contact with while employed at the Credit Union.

  • Private or confidential information about the Credit Union or its members should not be disclosed. Ensure common sense is exercised and strictly follow the Credit Union’s policy on preserving confidential information.

  • You are not obligated to join a co-worker’s, Credit Union volunteer’s, vendor’s, officer’s, member’s or board member’s network or to “friend” them.

  • Statements or activities on social media that violate Credit Union policy or applicable law may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination.

The following guidelines are specific to professional networks (e.g. LinkedIn):

  • Do not feel obligated to join a professional network; it is your choice whether or not you join.

  • Requests to join your network should be sent individually. You may not grant the network service provider permission to access your company e-mail address book to send requests to join your network.

  • You are not obligated to join a co-worker’s professional network or to invite coworkers to join your network.

  • If you are asked by a co-worker or former co-worker of the Credit Union to give a personal reference, you must use a disclaimer such as, “The following comments are my own, not made on behalf of the Credit Union and are not intended to represent the Credit Union’s positions, strategies, or opinions.” Please follow the Credit Union’s established procedures for reference requests.

  • Any communications that reference or could reflect on the Credit Union must comply with the Personnel Policy, Standards of Conduct, and any other credit union policies and procedures, or applicable law.

  • Employees are prohibited from disclosing confidential information related to the Credit Union or any of its employees, volunteers, officers, vendors, or members.

Policy Violations and Disciplinary Action

The Credit Union reserves the right to monitor, intercept, and review, without further notice, employees’ social media activity using the Credit Union’s technology resources, including mobile devices. You have no expectation of privacy with regard to these resources. The Credit Union owns all information created, received, or stored using the Credit Union’s technology resources. The Credit Union reserves the right to monitor and review public statements that refer to the Credit Union, its employees, officers, directors, vendors, and members. Violation of the above-stated policy and any other Credit Union policies may result in investigation and disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

The following are the rules and regulations pertaining to all individuals outside the employment of the Credit Union:

  • Any harassing comments or statements that are posted to any CSE FCU social media outlet by the same individual(s) habitually will be removed immediately upon discovery. Please see “CSE FCU Social Media Comment Policy (Attachment A)”, which will be located on any CSE FCU social media outlet.

  • All photos that are “posted or tagged” without the proper authorization to any CSE FCU social media outlet is subject to immediate removal upon discovery.

  • CSE FCU has full discretion to block access to its social media outlets.

  • Reporting violations of state and federal law will be documented and proper action will be taken based on current CSE FCU policy and procedures.

Legal Compliance

The Credit Union intends this policy to comply with all applicable laws, including laws protecting certain employee activities and will enforce this policy consistent with legal requirements.

ATTACHMENT A

CSE FCU SOCIAL MEDIA COMMENT POLICY

(To only be displayed on CSE FCU Social Media outlets)

CSE Federal Credit Union (CSE FCU) social media outlets are an open forum intended for the distribution of information from CSE FCU, and civil discussion between CSE FCU and its publics. Those who wish to utilize CSE FCU social media outlets are free to express their views and opinions, along with questions and concerns as long as the rules and standards included in the CSE FCU Social Media Comment Policy are followed.

Rules & Standards Regarding Use:

  1. The responsibility of the CSE FCU Social Media Administrator(s) is to guide all discussions in order to promote exchange of information between all parties. CSE FCU will determine what constitutes a violation of the Rules & Standards. All users posting comments or content must adhere to the directives of the administrator(s).

  2. CSE FCU Social Media Administrator(s) will not create “false” destinations or posts designed to mislead and control a conversation.

  3. All those who wish to comment on CSE FCU social media outlets must verify that they are at least 13 years of age.

  4. Any comments or content (including any link postings) that are in violation of CSE FCU rules and standards are subject to deletion.

  5. Any individual who violates CSE FCU rules and standards repeatedly, after being advised by the CSE FCU Social Media Administrator(s) may be blocked from further communication (commenting or posting) on any of the CSE FCU social media outlets.

  6. Comments recognized as SPAM - Unauthorized solicitations, business advertisements, comments designed to sell a product/service, with intent to drive web traffic to a particular website for personal, political, or monetary gain with no relation or association with CSE FCU are prohibited and will be removed by the administrator(s).

  7. Obscene and vulgar language, name-calling, and/or overly repetitive comments are prohibited.

  8. Comments condoning or promoting violence are prohibited.

  9. Comments that contain negative or derogatory speech about a person’s or group’s race, ethnicity, religion, and any other orientation will be removed.

  10. The intentional posting of inaccurate comments or content is not allowed.

  11. Individuals posting and/or using inappropriate photos, user names, or other items will be blocked and any comments made by those individuals will be deleted.

  12. Comments are to appear as Plain Text ONLY. HTML or URL formats will be removed.

All rights reserved: The CSE FCU owner, administrator, contributor, editor, and/or author reserve the right to edit, delete, move or mark as spam any and all comments. We also have the right to block access to anyone or group from commenting, or from the entire blog.

Hold harmless: All comments made within a CSE FCU social media outlet are the responsibility of the commenter, not the CSE FCU owner, administrator, contributor, editor, or author. By displaying information or images on a CSE FCU social media outlet, you the commenter, agree that the comment content is your own, and to hold CSE FCU, and all subsidiaries and representatives harmless from any and all repercussions, damages, or liability.