Web Alert: New guidance from Intertanko on social media use

This guidance is designed to help seafarers use social media, whilst avoiding its many pitfalls. Specifically it covers the possible ramifications of social media posts which could be detrimental to an employer’s corporate image.

Intertanko has issued ‘Social Media Guidance for Seafarers’. This guidance is designed to help seafarers use social media, whilst avoiding its many pitfalls. Specifically, it covers the possible ramifications of social media posts which could be detrimental to an employer’s corporate image. It offers several golden rules for social media use:

Never publish inaccurate information.
If you are unsure of the accuracy of your comments, do not publish them.
Always ensure that if you are talking about your workplace online that you have made it clear any statements are your own and do not represent the views or values of the company.
Avoid violating the privacy of your fellow seafarers and co-workers.
Only post online what you would be comfortable saying to people in person or in public.
Never use social media as a platform to harm, intimidate, insult, threaten, defame or embarrass others.

This advice should be distributed to seafarers to help them avoid situations where their use of social media may adversely affect their careers or the organisations they work for. To see this guidance in full, please see the attachment on the right.