Community Transit Social Media Policies
PERSONNEL POLICY POL-HR-209P
Using Company Technology Resources and Social Media
Definitions:
De minimus: Use or cost to the company that is so small as to be insignificant or negligible.
Information Technology (IT) Resources: Any resources capable of offering email, text
messages, internet, telephone, voicemail, fax machines, cell phones, personal digital assistants,
and other electronic communications devices.
Social Media: Use of blogs, wikis, social networks, virtual worlds, or any other kind of online
social interaction.
This policy applies to any employees, contractors, or other persons using company technology
resources and establishes Community Transit’s position regarding the proper business and
personal use of computer technology, telephones, electronic mail, social media and the Internet.
1. Use of Company Systems Must Further Company Purpose and Comply
With Policy
As good stewards of public funds, Community Transit’s objective in adopting use of
electronic communication and technology is to reduce costs and increase productivity.
The company provides IT resources to assist and facilitate company business.
The primary purpose of the company’s IT resources is to facilitate the provision of
services to the public in a manner consistent with Community Transit’s goals and values.
De minimus, incidental personal use of the company’s IT resources is permitted if it
otherwise conforms to the requirements of this policy. The company expects employees
to use their best judgment when using IT resources and to consider whether a given use
is in the public’s best interests.
2. Users Have No Expectation of Privacy
By using Community Transit’s IT resources, employees understand and agree that they
have no expectation of any privacy or confidentiality in any information they create,
store, or transmit using these resources. Most technology usage is recorded and
therefore available for review by both internal and external sources. These built-in logs
and tracking mechanisms provide an audit trail of technology use and are available to
detect improper or illegal use. All employees must be aware that these records are
reproducible, are not private and may be subject to disclosure under public disclosure
laws. This includes but is not limited to all computer files and information saved,
reviewed, or transmitted via all of the company’s IT resources, including but not limited
to computer files, computer servers, emails, internet usage, telephones, cell phones,
voicemail, and text messages, and applies to all information created, stored or
transmitted during an employee’s incidental personal use. No manager or other
Community Transit employee is authorized to provide assurances that such information
is private.
Employees’ use of the company’s IT resources can and will be monitored and any
information created, stored, or transmitted using company equipment may be inspected
by the company at any time. Employees should also understand that email messages
and other forms of electronic information, including documents created on company
computers, may be considered public records subject to retention requirements and
public disclosure, as well as release in the event of litigation involving the company.
3. Company Owns the System and Everything On It
All software, programs, applications, templates, data, files, and web pages residing on
Community Transit computer systems or storage media or developed on company
computer systems are the property of the company. The company can access, copy,
modify, destroy, and delete this property.
4. Disclosure or Removal of Sensitive, Confidential Data Prohibited
Unless required by law, confidential and sensitive information may not be removed from
the workplace or disclosed without authorization.
5. Limited Personal Use is Permissible, if Several Conditions are Met
Community Transit’s IT resources are to be used for company business. Incidental de
minimus personal use may be allowed where, in the judgment of the employee’s
supervisor or department director, such use does not interfere with the employee’s or the
department’s productivity, such as use that:
a. Is approved by your supervisor or manager to promote organizational effectiveness
or enhance job related skills;
b. Costs the company nothing, or the cost is deemed by your supervisor or manager
as “de minimus” or so small as to be insignificant or negligible;
c. Is done on your personal time, such as a lunch break, and doesn’t interfere with
the performance of your official duties;
d. Is brief in duration and infrequent or occasional, and doesn’t disrupt or distract from
the conduct of company business due to volume or frequency;
e. Doesn’t compromise the security or integrity of company information, systems or
networks; and,
f. Doesn’t solicit or promote commercial ventures, or constitute a prohibited use,
discussed below.
Employees should be mindful that personal messages and data on the company’s
system are not private and may be subject to public disclosure.
6. Certain Uses are Prohibited
Use of Community Transit’s IT resources to engage in any communication that violates
federal, state, or local laws or regulations, or any company policy, is strictly prohibited at
all times. In addition, the following uses of the company’s IT resources are inappropriate
and are prohibited at all times, unless engaged in as part of official Community Transit
business (such as a criminal investigation) or required by law (such as a public
disclosure request):
a. Accessing, receiving or sending pornographic, sexually explicit, lewd, or obscene
materials;
b. Use in connection with any type of prohibited harassment or discrimination,
including the transmission of offensive messages derogatory toward any individual
or group because of their sex, race, religion, sexual orientation, national origin,
age, disability or other protected status;
c. Gambling;
d. Online games;
e. Use that impacts the performance of the company’s network, such as viewing
streaming video and sending bulk mail;
f. Infringing on the trademark, copyright, or patent rights of others, or violating
software licensing agreements;
g. Use for political purposes, including partisan campaigning;
h. Deliberately propagating any virus, malware, spyware, or other code or file
designed to disable or otherwise harm any network or system;
i. Disclosing confidential information, including medical or other personal information
about other employees;
j. Using abusive, profane, defamatory, threatening, racist, sexist, or otherwise
discourteous language in public or private messages;
k. Connecting to Community Transit’s network or any IT resource using someone
else’s security identification login unless authorized by your supervisor or the other
person’s supervisor and the use is temporary and short-term;
l. Any personal use, even if incidental, that results in an expense to the company
unless approved in advance by your supervisor or manager; or,
m. Use that violates any other company or department policies, rules, or workplace
expectations.
Direct any questions about whether a use is permitted or not to your supervisor, Human
Resources (HR) representative, or IT personnel.
7. Social Media Use May Fall Under Company Policy; Employees Should
Exercise Care
Employees are advised that Community Transit rules and policies apply to social media
conduct, including policies regarding statements to the media, anti-discrimination and
harassment, prohibitions on releasing confidential information, and this policy.
Off-duty, personal use of social media by employees is not prohibited; however,
employees are reminded that company rules and policies apply to social media conduct
to the same extent as other off-duty conduct.
The following additional rules also apply to employees’ personal use of social media:
a. Social media content that relates to Community Transit business may be
considered a public record subject to retention and disclosure under the Public
Records Act. For that reason, employees are prohibited from using personal social
media to conduct company business.
b. When making personal use of social media sites, employees are prohibited from
using their company email, the company’s official logo, or the company’s name for
personal online communication or activities. Employees may not identify
themselves in any manner that suggests or implies they are speaking as a
representative for the company.
c. Employees should not recommend or discuss any current or former Community
Transit employees on professional networking sites such as LinkedIn without
approval from Human Resources.
d. Employees may not post, upload, or create any social media content at work or
using employer equipment that is known to be false, misleading, or fraudulent.
8. Employees Must Comply With This Policy or Face Discipline, Termination
Employees who violate this policy are subject to disciplinary action, up to and including
termination.
Community Transit Blog Use Policy
The Community Transit blog is intended to provide news and info about Community Transit. This blog also provides an opportunity for readers to comment about Community Transit blog topics.
We welcome your comments. Thanks for participating and abiding by these simple rules:
Please keep your comments civil and to the point. All comments are reviewed before posting. Posted comments will not be edited by Community Transit or its staff. However, Community Transit may, in its sole discretion, decide not to post or remove spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off-topic or inappropriate comments.
Communications made through the blog’s comment system in no way constitute a legal or official notice or comment to Community Transit. Please send comments on service or other requests requiring response to:
Posted comments do not represent the official position or views of Community Transit.
Community Transit Facebook Use Policy
Welcome to the official Community Transit Facebook Page. Community Transit is Snohomish County's public transportation provider - smile & ride!
General Information
Community Transit’s Facebook Page is a place for sharing and discussing information about Community Transit services and activities. We welcome your comments!
Thanks for participating and abiding by these simple rules:
Please keep your comments civil and to the point. All comments are reviewed. Community Transit may decide to remove spam, advertisements, obscene, profane, abusive and off-topic or inappropriate comments.
Communications made through this Facebook page in no way constitute a legal or official notice or comment to Community Transit. Please send comments on service or other requests requiring response to: .
Posted comments do not represent the official position or views of Community Transit.