Social media policy, Coastvale Shire Council
Social media policy template that separates personal and official accounts
A social media policy has to tell staff two different things: how the organisation's official accounts are run, and what they can and cannot say about work on their own accounts. This four page policy for a council with 400 staff puts the two side by side in a table, then sets out what not to post, a disclosure rule and how breaches are handled.
The document, page by page
Every page as it renders and as it prints, with nothing summarised. Read the wording before you reuse it.
Section by section
What each section is for, so you can keep the ones you need and drop the rest.
- Cover
- Panel cover with the council, the policy title, who it covers and the effective date.
- 1. Purpose and scope
- 12 official accounts, 400 staff, and councillors excluded.
- 2. Personal and official accounts
- A seven row table comparing the two.
- 3. What not to post
- Eight things never to post on any account.
- 4. The disclosure rule
- The line to use, its limit, and a callout that sharing is fine.
- 5. Running an official account
- Owners, officers, moderation and weekly archiving.
- 6. Breaches
- Four step handling diagram and an outcomes table by level.
- 7 and 8. Support and review
- Help for staff targeted online, the policy owner and the November 2028 review.
How to adapt this document
First, for a private company, replace the politics row with a row on commenting about competitors and customers, and drop the records row if no records law applies. Second, for a small business without a communications team, name the owner or manager as the approver and cut the account register to the two or three accounts you actually run. Third, for a school or health service, add a row on photos of students or patients, and require written consent through your existing consent forms rather than a new one.
What makes this document work
One table settles most questions
Seven rows compare an official account with a personal one: who may post, approval, voice, complaints, politics, records and passwords. A planning officer wondering whether to answer a complaint on their own account finds the answer, do not answer and point to official channels, in one row rather than in pages of prose.
The disclosure rule has an example and a limit
Clause 4 gives the exact line to use, I work at Coastvale Shire Council; this is my own view, then adds the limit that matters most in local government: if you worked on the matter, do not comment at all. A profile disclaimer alone does not cover a post about a specific decision.
Breaches are graded with real examples
The outcomes table runs from minor, a work post with no disclosure removed when asked, to gross, posting a resident's complaint with their name and address. Staff can see that a mistake fixed quickly is a conversation, while exposing a resident's details can end employment.
Questions people ask
Can an employer control what staff post on personal accounts?
Only where the post is connected to work, such as disclosing confidential information, abusing colleagues, or speaking as if for the employer. A policy that tries to ban all criticism or all political comment on personal accounts goes too far in most countries. This one limits itself to work related conduct and states that politics on personal accounts is a staff member's right.
Why are official posts treated as records?
Because public bodies must keep records of their business, and a reply to a resident on a council account is council business. Archiving every account weekly, as clause 5 requires, means posts can be produced for a freedom of information request, an investigation or a complaint, even after a platform deletes them.
Should staff be allowed to like or share official posts?
Yes, and most organisations want them to. Sharing an event notice, road closure or job ad helps it reach more people and does not express a personal view on a decision. The callout in clause 4 says so plainly, so staff are not afraid to share routine news.
What about councillors?
Elected members are not employees and are usually covered by their own code of conduct, which deals with their social media as part of their public role. This policy says so in clause 1 and leaves them out, so it does not imply a power over councillors that the council as employer does not have.
How often should a social media policy be reviewed?
At least every two years, and sooner when platforms change or after a serious incident. Platforms add features, such as disappearing messages or AI generated replies, that can create new risks for records and moderation. Clause 8 names an owner and the next review date so the policy does not drift.
How should moderation of comments work on official accounts?
Hide comments that are abusive, defamatory or expose someone's personal information, record each one in a log, and leave criticism visible however strong. Deleting fair criticism damages trust and, for a public body, can look like suppressing debate. A log shows a consistent rule was applied if a resident complains.
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