SCOPE
This policy applies to all employees of Landmark Family Medical and Dental Centre which encompasses all employees of Landmark Family Medical and Dental Centre and Management.

OVERVIEW
This policy covers employee interaction and representation of Landmark Family Medical and Dental Centre across all communication channels and social media platforms

PURPOSE
To define the rules for each employee when engaging in social collaboration, regardless of toolset, forum or medium. To also uphold the professional standards of Landmark Family Medical and Dental Centre.

BACKGROUND
Landmark Family Medical and Dental Centre recognises employees use social media and that the lines between work and home are becoming increasingly difficult to identify with the use of mobile devices.

Employees are personally responsible for the content they publish in a personal or professional capacity on any social media platform.

This policy does not apply to staff members’ personal use of social media platforms where they make ​no real or perceived​ reference to Landmark Family Medical and Dental Centre, it’s staff, it’s clients/patients, services, business partners, government, suppliers or other stakeholders.

DEFINITIONS

Social Media
Social media includes the various online technology tools that enable people to communicate easily via the internet to share information and resources. People use social media to talk, participate, share, network and bookmark online. Social media can include text, audio, video, images, podcasts and other multimedia communications, and is also known as Social Networking. Social media includes, but is not limited to:

• Email
• Social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google Plus)
• Video and photo sharing (Flickr, YouTube)
• Blogs, including personal and corporate blogs
• Micro-blogging
• Online forums and discussion boards
• Wikis (Wikipedia)
• Podcasting

Employees
In this policy, employees include permanent staff and executives, contractors, temporary staff, trainees, and students on placements.

Practice
In this policy, ‘the practice’ may be used interchangeably with the employers trading name:
Landmark Family Medical and Dental Centre

POLICY

No images, content, or confidential information from within Landmark Family Medical and Dental Centre or Management is to be posted on any social media platform without express permission of Landmark Management Team. Employees should not respond to comments and reviews left by patients and clients without prior authorisation from the marketing and/or management team.

Where an employee’s comments or profile can identify them as a Landmark Family Medical Centre employee, that employee:

• Must ensure any online communication is consistent with Landmark Family Medical and Dental Centre’s Code of Conduct, values, policies and applicable laws.
• Write on all postings that the stated views are your own and are not those of Landmark Family Medical and Dental Centre
• Must not imply you are authorised to speak as a representative of Landmark Family Medical and Dental Centre
• Must not make any comment or post any material that might otherwise cause damage to Landmark Family Medical and Dental Centre’s reputation or bring it into disrepute.
• Must not post material that includes confidential/proprietary information or trade secrets, or information that is offensive, obscene, defamatory, libellous, threatening, harassing, bullying, discriminatory, hateful, racist, or sexist.
• Must not use practice logos or insignia without written permission from a line manager.
• Can only disclose and discuss publicly available information.
• Must adhere to the Terms of Use of the relevant social media platform, as well as copyright, privacy, defamation, contempt of court, discrimination and other applicable laws, and Landmark Family Medical and Dental Centre’s Privacy of Health Records and Personal Information policies.

COMPLIANCE

• Landmark Family Medical and Dental Centre reserves the right to initiate action against any staff member, in accordance with the organisation’s Disciplinary Procedure, who uses social media in a manner that could be considered inappropriate or not consistent with this policy
• Management will consider the nature and severity of the post, the source of the post, whether Landmark Family Medical and Dental Centre or management team was named, if the post is public, if other workers have seen the post, if the practice name has been damaged or the Health Industry has been damaged, and or if the comment was impulsive or deliberate when considering any disciplinary action.
  • Disciplinary action may include termination of employment or disengagement of external contractors.

DISCLOSURE OF INAPPROPRIATE USE

Where an employee becomes aware of inappropriate or unlawful online content that relates to Landmark Family Medical and Dental Centre, or content that may otherwise have been published in breach of this policy the situation and circumstances should be reported immediately to the Practice Manager or Practice Principals.

PROTOCOL

Landmark Family Medical and Dental Centre Related Use

In some instances, an employee’s supervisor may ask an employee to participate in an online forum.

Prior to participation, the employee should:

• Discuss involvement with his/her supervisor
• Receive approval from Landmark Management Team and or Privacy Officers
• Ensure they are familiar with relevant policies and protocols, and agree on parameters for the project

PERSONAL USE

This policy does not discourage nor unduly limit employees using social media for personal expression or other online activities in their personal life.

Employees should be aware of and understand the potential risks and damage to Landmark Family Medical and Dental Centre that can occur, either directly or indirectly from their personal use of social media and should comply with this policy to ensure that the risk is minimised.

Employees are personally responsible for content published in their personal capacity on any form of social media platform. When in doubt, employees can seek guidance from the Practice Manager on how to comply with the following obligations.

To avoid breaching this policy, employees must:

• Only disclose and discuss publicly available information
• Ensure that all content published is accurate and not misleading and complies with all relevant practice policies and other legal and professional requirements
• Expressly state that stated views are personal and are not representative of the practice
• Behave politely and respectfully
• Adhere to the terms of use for using the social media platform or website, and adhere to legislation including copyright, privacy, defamation, contempt of court, discrimination, harassment and any other applicable laws, and the Practice’s Privacy Policy.

Employees must not:

• Post material that is offensive, obscene, defamatory, threatening, harassing, bullying, discriminatory, hateful, racist, sexist, infringes copyright, constitutes a contempt of court,

breaches a Court suppression order, or is otherwise unlawful

• Imply that they are authorised to speak as a representative of the company, nor give the impression that the views expressed are those of the company
• Use the identity or likeness of another employee, contractor or other member of the company
• Use their practice email address or any practice logos or insignia that may give the impression of official support or endorsement of their personal comment
• Use or disclose any confidential information or personal information obtained in their capacity as an employee or contractor of the company
• Post material that is, or might be construed as, threatening, harassing, bullying or discriminatory towards another employee or contractor of the Practice
• Comment or post any material that might otherwise cause damage to the practice’s reputation or bring it into disrepute

When accessing social media while at work, you must do so in accordance with Landmark Family Medical and Dental Centre’s Internet ,SMS and Email Usage policy, which requires you to use these resources reasonably, in a manner that does not interfere with your work, and is not inappropriate or excessively accessed.

Examples of reasonable use include:

• Accessing Facebook during an official break time
• Replying to a family member’s email
• Paying bills online during a meal break

It does not include promoting personal business or private enterprise.

REFERENCES AND ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTS

Privacy Policy
Code of Conduct Policy
Bullying & Harassment Policy
Data and Security Breach Protocol
Confidentiality Agreement
Internet and Email Usage Policy
Use of Computers Policy (yet to be officially written and shared)

LEGISLATIONS

• Privacy Act 1988 (Commonwealth)
• Fair Work Act 2009 (Commonwealth)

STANDARDS / CODES OF PRACTICE /INDUSTRY GUIDELINES

• Social Media and the Medical Profession: guidelines for medical staff and medical students, Australian Medical Association
• Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) Social Media Policy

Landmark Family Medical and Dental Centre has taken all reasonable steps in the development of this policy, to make its content consistent with the proper discharge of its obligations under the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 and all related state and federal laws.

MODIFICATION

• The date the policy is due for review no greater than two years from the date of endorsement
• Landmark Family Medical and Dental Centre Management team is responsible for reviewing this policy