Prattville YMCA Digital/Online Policy

PRATTVILLE YMCA DIGITAL/ON-LINE POLICY

With the advent of digital, interactive gaming, and social networking sites (including, but not limited to:  Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, Pinterest, Flickr, YouTube, Wikipedia etc.), personal web sites, chat rooms, blogs, vlogs, online gaming, video conferencing, etc., our exposure and the risks to our reputation have increased.  For this reason, the Prattville YMCA has developed these standards of behavior in electronic and virtual public forums. If you choose to post a personal website, or to participate in social media, chat rooms, blogs, etc., the following guidelines must be followed: 

  1. If you use the YMCA’s name (including names of camps or other programs) in any communication, you shall be especially careful to support and certainly not harm or ridicule the YMCA’s image or mission.
  2. YMCA staff must uphold the YMCA’s value of respect for the individual and avoid making defamatory statements about YMCA supervisors, employees, members, participants, clients, partners, affiliates and others including competitors. 
  3. Your personal website or social media page shall be marked “private,” so only the people that you have invited may access your page. Youth should not be invited by staff to join any personal digital or online platforms.
  4. YMCA Staff will not participate in one on one video calls with a youth.
  5. YMCA Staff shall never initiate a “friend request” on personal accounts, online gaming invitations, or initiate any other digital or online interactions.
  6. Any personal website, blog, vlog, social media interaction, etc. shall not contain commentary that violates the YMCA’s policies on harassment or discrimination. 
  7. YMCA Site administrators are strictly forbidden from sharing their administrative login and password.
  8. Private text messaging with youth should be avoided, but allowed in necessary situations to communicate program information. When possible, it shall be shifted to a group text that shall include two adult figures. Staff shall not delete history or chat logs from a messaging platform for 60 days. No messaging shall take place on a platform where messages automatically disappear.
  9. Media inquiries- if a member of the media contacts you about any YMCA post or discussion thread, you are to forward that media inquiry immediately to your supervisor. All media relations will be handled by the General Director/CEO, David Lewis.
  10. YMCA staff should promote the core values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility in their speech and behavior at the YMCA, with the community and in any public forum. 
  11. Social media, online, or digital contact or interaction with youth that violates the Prattville YMCA’s Code of Conduct is prohibited.
  12. Social media activities shall not interfere with work commitments.
  13. Statements or writings on your Personal blogs/vlogs, social media platforms, etc should be clear that you are speaking for yourself and not on behalf of the YMCA.
  14. Do not reference or cite YMCA members, partners, or employees without their express consent on social media, websites, blogs, vlogs, online gaming, etc.
  15. If you or your words are public, make sure they are not contradicting with your role at the YMCA and they are reflective of the mission and values of our association.
  16. Be respectful to the YMCA, other employees, members, partners, and competitors
  17. YMCA Privileged Information – Any confidential, proprietary, or trade secret information is obviously off-limits on any social networking site unless specifically authorized in writing by your association. The YMCA logo and trademarks are off-limits per our YMCA and YUSA’s brand guidelines. Anything related to YMCA members, policy, programs, strategy, financials, products, etc. that has not been made public cannot be shared in social networking sites under any circumstances. Disclosing confidential or proprietary information can negatively impact our YMCA and may result in regulatory violations for the YMCA. Additionally, you are strictly forbidden from posting copyrighted material or any intellectual property that belongs to another organization or to someone else.
  18. Legal Liability – When you choose to post information for the public via a social media site, you are legally responsible for everything you post. Individuals can be held personally liable for posting any comments or media deemed to be defamatory, obscene, proprietary, or libelous (whether pertaining to the YMCA, individuals, or any other entity). For these reasons you shall exercise caution with regard to exaggeration, colorful language, speculation, obscenity, copyrighted materials, legal conclusions, and derogatory remarks or characterizations. In essence, you post at your own risk. Outside parties can pursue legal action against you for postings. 
  19. Inappropriate photographs, memes, GIFS, posts, statements, etc that appear on public formats such as social networking sites, websites, email communications, vlogs, blogs, gaming platforms, cell phones, etc is prohibited.