DOs and DON’Ts of Social Media: A Guide

Here is a list of social media Dos and Don’ts for ALL NSGEU members to consider:

DOs and DON’Ts of Social Media: A Guide

DOs

• Please repost, share, retweet, and email any union communication you receive on your own personal time and on your own personal social media sites.
• NSGEU members are not required to be silent on workplace issues that affect you as union members. You have the right to raise your voice as a union member about issues like government legislation that takes away free collective bargaining rights, contracting out, and cuts to public services.
• As an employee of a public sector employer, you should conduct your work efficiently and impartially. You should not share your personal views with clients in your workplace and always maintain the confidentiality of the work you do where necessary.
• You can use your work email to distribute union information to coworkers. However, you must do this on your own time and not during work hours. If you are challenged on reposting or distributing your union’s communications, we will challenge your employer on this.

DON’Ts

• Keep in mind that you should not be critical of your direct employer (i.e. if you work in government finance, you shouldn’t criticize the financial decisions of government)
• There are a list of specific cautions in our NSGEU Social Networking Policy: In posting content, NSGEU members may subject themselves to discipline, lawsuits or criminal charges if they engage in any of the following:
  • Violate an employer’s confidentiality policy I. Example: Unauthorized disclosure of confidential information relating to corporate affairs, clients, patients, coworkers. II. Example: The unauthorized posting of photographs containing confidential information relating to corporate affairs, clients, patients, coworkers.
  • Harm, or do something that is likely to harm, the company’s reputation I. Example: Making insulting, scandalous, rude, insubordinate or insolent comments about the workplace, this includes comments about management, coworkers, clients, and the company’s services or products. II. Example: Posting racist, discriminatory or violent comments. III. Example: The unauthorized posting of photographs that may harm the company’s reputation.
  • Harm, or do something that is likely to harm, the employer’s operations I. Example: Gossip and other unprofessional postings can cause strife and disruptions among colleagues in the workplace.
  • Breach the Canadian Criminal Code
  • Act in a manner inconsistent with job obligations I. Example: An employee charged (implicitly or explicitly) with customer or public relations should not air his private views about his employer, colleagues, clients, etc. II. Example: A health care employee posts scornful comments about the services provided by her employer.
  • NSGEU social networking policy can be found on-line at: Social Media Policy

If you have any concerns, questions, or comments, or experience any issues related to your participation in union activity during the election or after, please contact your Labour Relations Officer by contacting us at 902-424-4063 or toll-free at 1-877-556-7438 or by email at inquiry@nsgeu.ca.