Whistleblower and Social Media Policies

 

Whistleblower Policy

Youth Central requires that all employees, directors, contractors, volunteers and other persons involved in its operations must observe the highest standards of business and personal ethics in the conduct of their duties and responsibilities and must comply with all applicable laws and regulations.

Any person who in good faith reasonably believes that there has been wrongdoing in the operations of Youth Central is encouraged to report the wrongdoing to the Executive Director or alternatively to the Chair of the Board of Directors if the Executive Director is absent or if the Executive Director is the subject of the report.

A person who makes a report in good faith and on reasonable grounds will not be subject to any form of reprisal.

Wrongdoing includes but is not limited to:

  1. deliberate inaccurate reporting of financial information;
  2. misappropriation or misuse of Youth Central’s resources;
  3. deliberate disregard of Youth Central policies or values; and
  4. forgery or alteration of documents.

The Executive Director or Chair of the Board of Directors must ensure that all reports are promptly investigated and that corrective action is taken if warranted.  All reports, actions and resolutions must be documented and brought to the attention of the Board of Directors.

All reports submitted will be kept confidential to the extent possible, consistent with the terms of this policy and the need to conduct an adequate investigation.

 

Definition:

Social Media is any tool or service that facilitates multi-directional communication over the internet.  This includes Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and blogs, forums, but also implies similar platforms such as YouTube, Flickr, Instagram, Pinterest and all the other sites available currently and in the future.

 

Privacy and Protection of Information:

Social Media encourages you to share information and connect with people.   When doing so, please keep in mind that you are a representative of Youth Central and that you have access to confidential information, such as information about youth volunteers and funders that should not be made public or shared with people outside of Youth Central.

 

Be Responsible:

Social Media lets you communicate incredibly quickly and your message can go viral in seconds.  This makes it difficult to fix an inaccurate message or retract a message with inappropriate content.  What you publish will be around for a long time, so consider the content carefully and be cautious about disclosing personal details.

 

Social Media Policy

 

Respect others privacy.  Before publishing or sharing photographs or videos, ensure that you have any permissions required, this must include photo or video releases (for Youth Central volunteers and clients of partner agencies).  Please double check all content before you share it, both for accuracy and to ensure that it fits with Youth Central’s values and culture (if you are communicating on behalf of Youth Central).

Don’t be afraid to be yourself, but do so respectfully. This includes not only the obvious (no ethnic slurs, offensive comments, defamatory comments, personal insults, obscenity, etc.) but also proper consideration of privacy and of topics that may be considered objectionable or inflammatory – such as politics and religion. Use your best judgment and be sure to make it clear that the views and opinions expressed are yours alone and do not represent the views of Youth Central. Also ensure that what is written does not conflict with Youth Central policies.

Do not speak on behalf of Youth Central or use the Youth Central brand if you have not been authorized to do so.  If you see something being shared related to Youth Central that should not be happening or is inaccurate, please advise Youth Central’s Executive Director, Assistant Director and/or Program Director immediately.  Remember, anything posted on Social Media sites can go viral.

Please think before you post. Content on your personal account that negatively reflects upon Youth Central, or your relationship, volunteer or employment position with Youth Central, could result in disciplinary action and/or termination.