Gateshead Council to decide on social media policy for employees

New regulations could be voted in next month to regulate Gateshead Council employees' use of social media

Gateshead Council is set to implement rules over employees' personal use of social media. Councillors will gather on November 21, to vote on a proposed social media policy which will regulate what employees can and cannot do online.

According to council documents, the local authority intends to "support" employees to make sure their online behaviour does not "adversely" impact the council or workers' continued employment. The draft policy states that workers must not:

• Engage in activities on social media that might bring the council into disrepute
• Make defamatory comments about individuals, other organisations, or groups or post anything that could be considered discriminatory
• Respond to, like or share inappropriate posts or images which could be considered offensive or derogatory by any individual
• Post personal comments which could be construed as representing the council
• Disclose personally identifiable information about clients, customers or service users
• Post photos of colleagues in their professional capacity to personal social media accounts without their agreement

In addition, according to the draft policy, employees must not upload, forward or post links to any abusive, obscene, sexually explicit, discriminatory, harassing, derogatory or defamatory content. If employees do the council will have a duty to report it to the police, and it could potentially lead to dismissal.

If employees believe colleagues are in breach of the policy, they are advised to report it to their own managers, in the first instance.

Council documents state: "The public must be able to trust the integrity of the Council. They need to be confident that the outside activities of our employees do not undermine the council’s reputation and that decisions are not perceived to be influenced by commercial, political or personal interests, which may conflict with an individual’s role as set out in the Council’s Code of Conduct."

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