POLICIES

 

SOCIAL MEDIA POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

 

Purpose

Yellow Basket recognizes a need to augment its traditional communication methods with the use of Internet-based social media channels. This need is driven by an increased public demand and the rapid growth of social media use among consumers of all ages as well as by local, state and federal government entities to enhance communications, improve marketing efforts and to demonstrate transparency. Yellow Basket Restaurant supports the use of social media technology to enhance two-way communication, collaboration and information exchange.

 

This document establishes Yellow Basket’s social media use policies, protocols and procedures. It also provides guidance to all Yellow Basket employees and other representatives that work or act on its behalf. Yellow Basket shall revise this policy as necessary and will adjust the use of social media activity by Yellow Basket, its staff, and affiliates accordingly.

 

Definitions

Social Media and Web 2.0 – The U.S. Government defines social media and Web 2.0 as umbrella terms that define the various activities that integrate technology, social interaction, and content creation. Through social media, individuals or collaborations of individuals can create Web content, organize content, edit or comment on content, combine content, and share content. Social media and Web 2.0 use many technologies and forms, including RSS and other syndicated Web feeds, blogs, wikis, photo–sharing, video–sharing, podcast, social bookmarking, mashups, widgets, virtual worlds, micro– blogs, and more.

 

Official Yellow Basket E-Mail Account – E-mail account created and maintained by the Marketing and Social Media Department for official Yellow Basket business.

 

Title of Responsible Individual – Refers to the Title of Responsible Individual or his/her designee.

 

Approved Yellow Basket Social Networking Site – Refers to social networks in coordination with the Administration and Marketing Department has assessed and approved for use by Yellow Basket.

 

Applicability

This policy applies to all Yellow Basket employees, affiliates and other approved Yellow Basket representatives.

 

Responsability

The Policy Making Board/Owner approved Yellow Basket Social Media Policy on July 1, 2018.

 

The General Manager is responsible for facilitating Yellow Basket Social Media Policy in compliance with established rules and protocols. This includes responsibility to audit social media use and enforce policy compliance.

 

All employees shall be provided a copy of the Yellow Basket Social Media Policy and are required to acknowledge their understanding and acceptance via wet signature. The Human Resources Department shall maintain a record of each employee’s signed Social Media Policy acknowledgement form.

 

General Policy

a. The use of social media technology by any Yellow Basket affiliate or subsidiary shall be approved by the Administration. The affiliate or subsidiary must conform to the policies, protocols and procedures contained, or referenced, herein.

 

b. Access to social media networks from within Yellow Basket’s IT infrastructure shall be extended to employees exclusively to perform Yellow Basket business.

 

c. Only official Yellow Basket spokespersons and select individuals, approved by the Administration or designee, will have permission to create, publish or comment on behalf of Yellow Basket.

 

d. Yellow Basket social media sites shall be created with identifiable characteristics of an official Yellow Basket site and make clear that they are maintained by Yellow Basket and that they comply with Yellow Basket’s Social Media Policy.

 

e. Wherever possible, Yellow Basket social media sites should link back to the official Yellow Basket website to provide additional content and information.

 

f. The same standards, principles and guidelines that apply to Yellow Basket employees in the performance of their assigned duties apply to employee social media technology use. Social media activities pertaining to employee duties or outside of employee work time, that negatively affect Yellow Basket’s work or the work of other employees, including but not limited to undermining its mission, purpose, or credibility with the public, will be subject to investigation, and appropriate action, as determined by Yellow Basket.

 

g. Yellow Basket social media sites and all related content shall be monitored by the Marketing Department, Administration and the IT Department.

 

h. Yellow Basket reserves the right to restrict or remove content that is deemed in violation of this Social Media Policy or any applicable law. Any content removed based on this Social Media Policy shall be retained for a reasonable period of time, and include the time, date and identity of the author or individual who posted the content, when available.

 

i. The Social Media Policy shall be displayed to users or made available by hyperlink.

 

j. Yellow Basket’s website www.Yellow Basket.com will remain Yellow Basket’s primary and predominant Internet presence.

 

k. All Yellow Basket social media sites shall adhere to applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations and policies.

 

l. Yellow Basket social media sites are subject to review by its officers or principles. Any content maintained in a social media format that is related to Yellow Basket business, including a list of subscribers, posted communication, and communication submitted for posting, may be reviewed.

 

m. Comments on topics or issues not within the jurisdictional purview of Yellow Basket may be removed.

 

n. Employees representing Yellow Basket via Yellow Basket social media sites must conduct themselves at all times as a representative of Yellow Basket and in accordance with all Yellow Basket policies.

 

Approved Social Media Networks

Only those social media networks approved by the Management Team shall be used for Yellow Basket communications.

 

a. Social media networks under consideration will be reviewed and approved by the General Manager, or his/her designee, in consultation with the Administration, Marketing Department and IT Department, as well as legal counsel and the Human Resources Department when appropriate.

 

b. The Administration, in consultation with the IT manager, is responsible for maintaining the list of approved social media networks and site related usage standards.

 

c. On a semi-annual basis, the General Manager shall review existing social media networks for changes to terms of use agreements and/or new/expired offerings.

 

d. A subsidiary or affiliate may request the review and approval of additional social media networks.

 

Official Yellow Basket Social Media Sites

Yellow Basket social media sites shall be created and maintained in accordance with Yellow Basket’s Social Media Policy and identifiable as an official Yellow Basket site.

 

a. Yellow Basket social media network accounts shall be created under an official Yellow Basket e-mail account. Account password(s) and related account information shall be provided in writing and retained by Administration.

 

b. Social media sites shall contain visible elements that identify them as an official Yellow Basket site. These elements include but are not limited to displaying the Yellow Basket logo, contact information, and a link to the Yellow Basket website, whenever possible.

 

c. Yellow Basket social media sites shall display or link to the Yellow Basket Social Media Policy.

 

Site Content and Comments Policy

a. As a leader with in the business community, Yellow Basket must abide by certain standards to serve all of its stakeholders in a civil and unbiased manner.

 

b. The intended purpose behind establishing Yellow Basket social media sites is to disseminate Yellow Basket information to the public, provide a platform for dialogue and expand the Yellow Basket brand.

 

c. Sites that allow public comment shall inform visitors of the intended purpose of the site and that inappropriate posts are subject to removal, including but not limited to the following types of postings, regardless of format (text, video, images, links, documents, etc.):
— i. Comments not topically related;
— ii. Profane language or content;
— iii. Content that, for a reasonable person, promotes, fosters or perpetuates discrimination or a hostile attitude or gives offense on the basis of race, color, citizenship, age, religion, ancestry, gender, marital status, national origin, veteran’s status, physical or mental disability or sexual orientation;
— iv. Sexual content or links to sexual content;
— v. Solicitations of commerce;
— vi. Conduct or encouragement of illegal activity;
— vii. Information that may tend to compromise the safety or security of the public or public systems;
— viii. Content that violates a legal ownership interest of any other party; or
— ix. Messages or information which are in conflict with applicable law or Yellow Basket policies, rules or procedures.

 

d. A comment posted by a member of the public on any Yellow Basket social media site is the opinion of the commentator or poster only. Yellow Basket’s publication of such a comment does not imply its endorsement of, or agreement with, nor do such comments necessarily reflect Yellow Basket’s opinions or policies.

 

e. Yellow Basket reserves the right to deny access to Yellow Basket social media sites to any individual who violates Yellow Basket’s Social Media Policy, at any time and without prior notice.

 

f. Affiliates shall monitor their social media sites for comments requesting responses from Yellow Basket and for comments in violation of this policy.

 

g. When a Yellow Basket employee responds to a comment, in his/her capacity as a Yellow Basket employee, the employee’s name and title must be made available, and the employees shall not share personal information about themselves or other Yellow Basket employees.

 

Records Management

Yellow Basket use of social media shall be documented and maintained in an easily accessible format that tracks account information and preserves items

 

a. Affiliates are responsible for the creation, administration and deactivation of social media accounts, in coordination with Administration.
— i. Account password information shall only be shared with authorized staff designated by the Administration, or her/his designee, to fulfill the role of site account administrator.
— ii. An account password shall promptly be reset when an employee is removed as an account administrator.

 

b. Departments shall maintain a record of social media sites created for Yellow Basket use, which include, but may not be limited to:
— i. A log file containing the name of the social media network, account id, password, registered e-mail address, date established, authorizing representative and name of person who created account and agreed to the site’s terms of use agreement and/or policy.
— ii. A record of the site’s usage agreement at the time the site was created and any updated versions.
— iii. A list of authorized site content authors and editors.

 

c. Electronic information posted to a social media site by Yellow Basket.
— i. The Administration shall be responsible for responding completely and accurately to comments and posting as prescribed in the social media response protocols.
— ii. Site content shall be maintained in accordance with its respective records retention schedule and in accordance with Yellow Basket policies and procedures.

 

Social Media Networks Response

Yellow Basket may designate an internal position or outside entity to manage and respond to their social media sites.

 

Blog and Social Media Response Protocols

 

Introduction

Every day, people discuss, debate and embrace the merits of companies and Yellow Baskets in thousands of online conversations. We recognize the importance of engaging in on-line conversations and are committed to ensuring we participate in online social media the right and ethical way.

 

As a result, Yellow Basket, has developed the following blog and social media response protocols to empower our management and employees to participate in this global conversation while representing Yellow Basket in a positive and optimistic manner.

 

Here are five tactics that Yellow Basket requires to help shape your responses.
* Empathize. Show you care.
* Be transparent. Let the commenter know what your quality standards are.
* Take it direct. Move it out of the public domain and direct to the individual.
* Be in the moment. Give clear timeframes and show you appreciate the urgency.
* Exceed expectations. Give the individual options and show you are there to help.

 

In addition to customers, stakeholders, potential employees and others within the Yellow Basket Family, there are also a number of other types of individuals participating in the online social conversations. Here are a few types of individuals you need to be aware of and respond appropriately:
* Trolls. Trolls lurk on the Internet to cause trouble. Typically, trolls have a website, blog or other web presence devotedly entirely to bashing others. Approach trolls with caution. Trolls live to provoke a reaction- they are often abusive and repetitive. In most cases, following the response protocols appropriately will determine if and when you should eliminate them from your online community. This is important for the benefit of other users and their experiences.
* Inflamed or also known as Ragers. Ragers are individuals that post with rage, a rant, or are satirical in nature. Like trolls, approach with caution and monitor closely.
* Misguided. These individuals are sometimes considered Mavens or experts on a variety of topics within their communities. Their intentions are usually good, but their information is erroneous or provides only part of the story. Setting the record straight, referencing third party expertise and monitoring the community’s response are appropriate for these individuals.
* Unhappy. These individuals have had a negative experience with the Yellow Basket. Their complaints may or may not be justified. Ideally, respond in a positive manner, redirecting the conversation to another location (email, phone call follow-up, etc…)

 

Response Considerations

When responding to any comment on a blog, website or social media site, the following considerations need to be followed:
* Transparency: Disclose your connection to Yellow Basket and your role in the Yellow Basket.
* Sourcing: Re-enforce your resonse by citing third party sources including websites, articles, trade journals and white papers.
* Timeline: Do not rush, but do not delay! Take the time to craft a relevant and appropriate response.
* Tone: Respond in a tone and manner that positivley reflects on Yellow Basket, our mission, our family, our employees and our customers
* Influence: Focus on responding to the active and relevant approved social media sites.

 

Follow all Yellow Basket policies, including the Yellow Basket Social Media Policy. As a representative of Yellow Basket, act with honesty and integrity in all matters. This is true for all forms of media including blogs, digital, social and traditional.

 

Be mindful that you are representing Yellow Basket. As a Yellow Basket representative, it is important that your posts convey the leadership and spirit of Yellow Basket. Be respectful of all individuals, races, religions and cultures. Be mindful of how you conduct yourself when you respond online. Remember that it is not only a reflection on you but also on Yellow Basket.

 

Fully disclose your affiliation with Yellow Basket. Exercise sound judgment and common sense. When in doubt, do not post. Employees are personally responsible for their words and actions. You must ensure that your posts and responses are accurate, that they are not misleading and that they do not reveal any non-public information of Yellow Basket.

 

If you are using another entity’s content, make sure to give them credit for it and obtain any and all necessary approvals before posting. Remember that the internet is permanent. Once information is published online, it is essentially part of a permanent record. Removing it or deleting it later will not always work.

 

All Yellow Basket social media sites should be actively monitored for comments. Monitoring includes reviewing comments/posts and making a determination of action; respond or not.

 

For positive postings and comments, the following response protocol should be followed:

Positive Post Response Protocol