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Duke Energy Social Media Guideline

Originator: Human Resources

Effective Date: 05-15-2009
Revision Date: 05-01-2012

Applies to: All Duke Energy Employees

DISCLAIMER

THIS GUIDELINE IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY, AND IS NOT INTENDED TO CREATE A CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT BETWEEN AN EMPLOYEE AND DUKE ENERGY.  THIS GUIDELINE DOES NOT ALTER THE “AT-WILL” EMPLOYMENT STATUS OF DUKE ENERGY EMPLOYEES.  “AT-WILL” EMPLOYMENT MEANS THAT EITHER AN EMPLOYEE OR DUKE ENERGY CAN TERMINATE THE EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSHIP AT ANY TIME, FOR ANY OR NO REASON, WITH OR WITHOUT CAUSE, AND WITH OR WITHOUT NOTICE, SUBJECT TO RESTRICTIONS UNDER ANY APPLICABLE LAW.  NOTHING IN THIS GUIDELINE IS INTENDED TO CONFLICT WITH THE TERMS OF ANY APPLICABLE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT (“CBA”).  WHERE A CONFLICT EXISTS, THE TERMS OF THE APPLICABLE CBA SHALL CONTROL.

Philosophy

Social media tools – blogs, wikis, social networks, etc. – are changing the communication landscape and are great ways to learn, find resources, share ideas, gather feedback and test concepts.    

With the implementation of SharePoint, new Portal technology, and other internal technologies that can be accessed through the Portal (Duke Energy social media tools), Duke Energy has enabled you to join the dialogue at work. These internal tools include functionality for customizable, personal profile pages (My Sites), personal blogs, discussion boards and wikis.

We encourage you to use Duke Energy’s social media tools constructively: to connect more effectively with your colleagues, educate yourself about our businesses, share your knowledge with others at the company and get to know coworkers in other locations.  We also endorse your responsible participation in online conversations through external social media tools, but we want you to understand clearly the expectations related to your use of this technology as a representative of Duke Energy.

This guideline will not be construed or applied in a way that interferes with an employee’s rights under the National Labor Relations Act or other applicable laws.

Your Use of Duke Energy Social Media Tools

Please remember that as with all company-provided electronic communication tools, your use of Duke Energy social media tools is governed by the Code of Business Ethics (CoBE), the IT 300 Electronic Communications Policy and other applicable company policies, procedures and guidelines,such as Duke Energy’s Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity Policy and Harassment Policy.  You are responsible for how you use Duke Energy social media tools.  Here are some things to remember:

  • Continue to use existing channels to report concerns, including any workplace concerns you may be experiencing (e.g., your manager, human resources representative, the Ethics and Compliance Office, the EthicsLine, the I Can Help program, Nuclear Generation Department Employee Concerns Program, etc.).
  • There is no such thing as an anonymous posting on Duke Energy social media tools.  You will be identified automatically whenever you respond to someone else’s blog, contribute to a wiki or post to a discussion board.  This is an open environment, so your posts are viewable potentially by all users, including your manager.
  • Comply with all applicable Duke Energy policies.  Do not engage in personal attacks against your colleagues and do not use Duke Energy social media tools to post or display comments about co-workers, supervisors or Duke Energy that are vulgar, obscene, threatening, intimidating, harassing or a violation of the company’s policies, procedures or guidelines.
  • It is inappropriate to use Duke Energy social media tools in a manner that interferes with your productivity or the productivity of others.  Remember that Duke Energy social media tools are designed to allow you to do your job more effectively and collaborate with your colleagues.
  • It is also inappropriate to use Duke Energy social media tools to promote businesses where you have an opportunity for personal or family gain or otherwise create a conflict of interest.
  • As with email and instant messaging, your use of Duke Energy social media tools is subject to monitoring. The company reserves the right to remove any content that is deemed to be  harassing, vulgar, offensive,threatening, intimidating, obscene or a violation of applicable company policies, procedures or guidelines, such as the company’s Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity and Harassment policies.
  • If you see anything that you believe to be  offensive and/or in violation of the Company’s policies, procedures or guidelines, report your concerns to your supervisor, human resources representative or the Ethics and Compliance Office.  Of course, you may also report your concerns anonymously through Duke Energy’s EthicsLine.
  • When sharing information through Duke Energy social media tools, you must comply with the IT Security Policy, Standards and Procedures and follow all regulatory requirements.  This includes the FERC Affiliate Restrictions and Standards of Conduct (especially the “No Conduit Rule”) and applicable state codes of conduct. Always review your communications to ensure that you’re not inappropriately sharing market information or non-public transmission system information.
  • You should not use Duke Energy social media tools to discuss or disclose trade secret(s) or other proprietary information of the company, or non-public information related to the current or future performance of the company.  You should not disclose the personal information of others, including their photograph or likeness, without having first obtained their permission.      
  • Non-exempt employees should consult with their supervisor or manager if they plan to use Duke Energy social media tools to perform work for the company outside of their normal work schedule.
  • Do not use Duke Energy social media tools to solicit your fellow employees in a way that violates Duke Energy’s Solicitation and Distribution Policy.
  • If you have any questions as to what constitutes the appropriate use of Duke Energy social media tools, please talk to your supervisor or a human resources representative. 

Use of External Social Media Tools

Many of the common sense guidelines discussed above apply equally to your use of external social media and online networking tools such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Pinterest, YouTube  and electronic message boards.  Here are some additional reminders regarding your use of external social media, some of which are also relevant with regard to your use of Duke Energy social media tools:

  • We encourage you to post honestly and not anonymously. While your name will automatically be included on any internal posts, you should also avoid the use of pseudonyms or screen names in external posts.
  • Make it clear that you are writing on behalf of yourself and not on behalf of Duke Energy, write in the first person. “I think…” as opposed to “We believe…” or “Duke Energy’s stance is…” When you are engaging in social networking activities for your own personal purpose(s), indicate that the views projected are your own and do not reflect those of Duke Energy.
  • Any time you engage in online communication about Duke Energy or Duke Energy-related issues, you should disclose that you are a Duke Energy employee as well as provide a description of your role at Duke Energy.  In addition, Federal Trade Commission guidelines mandate these disclosures any time you promote Duke Energy’s products and/or services in any way, including an online recommendation.  Use good judgment and strive for accuracy; educate yourself on the issues before commenting on them and remember that errors or omissions may reflect poorly on you and/or Duke Energy.
  • Use your personal email address to identify yourself, not your duke-energy.com email address.   
  • Even if you choose to disguise yourself, remember that the Web is an open technology and your identity can be uncovered by others with a little bit of technical expertise and digging.  Also, many posts cannot be edited or erased … so your comments are there to stay.  Be thoughtful.
  • When you speak out on public issues or a position taken by the company, make sure that you do so as an individual.  In other words, don’t give the appearance that you are speaking or acting on Duke Energy’s behalf. Only authorized spokespersons may make official statements on behalf of Duke Energy.  For more information, refer to the Public Release of Information standard in the CoBE.
  • Likewise, employees must get permission from Corporate Communications before establishing an official group or online presence on behalf of the company. 
  • Remember that others from Duke Energy may be viewing your external posts.  We encourage you to add value to the conversation, not just to post for the sake of posting.  Strive to ensure that your comments are on-target and relevant to the conversation.
  • If you speak out on Duke Energy issues (e.g., regulatory proceedings, Smart Grid, coal mining methods, environmental issues, electric vehicles) as an individual, you should remain respectful and tactful.  If you are responding to criticisms of Duke Energy it is best to remain factual and professional.
  • Never publicly disclose, discuss or comment upon Duke Energy’s  trade secret(s) or proprietary information, non-public information regarding the financial performance of the company or the personal information of Duke Energy’s employees or customers. Do not use someone else’s words or content inappropriately.  Always comply with copyright and trademark laws and cite your sources.  Whenever possible, link back to information you are sharing from other sites, blogs, etc.

A Few Concluding Thoughts

If you have any questions about the application of this guideline, please contact your supervisor or human resources representative.  Please remember that your violation of this guideline or any applicable Duke Energy policy or procedure through the improper use of internal or external social media  tools could result in corrective or disciplinary action.