TL;DR: A social media policy sets the rules for how staff use social media at work and when posting about work. It covers who speaks for the organisation, confidential information, and how colleagues and customers are treated online. In Australia it must respect the limits on regulating private conduct and the right to discuss pay.

Key takeaways

• A social media policy covers official accounts, personal accounts, confidentiality, respectful conduct, and what happens after a breach.
• The Fair Work Commission says an employer can supervise private activities only in exceptional circumstances, with a real connection to work.
• Employees have a workplace right to share information about their own pay, so a policy should not try to stop it.
• According to the Australian Human Rights Commission, one in 3 workers experienced workplace sexual harassment in the last 5 years.
• Sexual harassment connected to work is covered when it happens online, so the policy belongs next to your harassment policy.

What is in this social media policy template?

The download is a sample social media policy, written as a code of conduct for how staff use social media. It is a starting point with placeholders for your organisation’s details. Adapt it to your accounts and roles. Then have it checked before you rely on it in a dispute.

What is a social media policy?

A social media policy is a workplace code of conduct for how staff use social media, both on the organisation’s official accounts and on their own accounts where their posts connect to work. It sets out who may speak for the organisation, what must stay confidential, and how colleagues, customers, and the organisation are treated online.

In practice, a good policy does two jobs at once. It protects the organisation, its clients, and its people from harm, such as a leaked client detail or an abusive comment about a colleague. It also gives staff confidence to share genuine news about their work, because they know where the lines are.

However, the policy is not a ban on posting. For instance, an employee sharing a team photo from a community event, or reposting a job ad, is usually exactly what the organisation wants. The policy exists for the narrower set of posts that can hurt someone, breach confidentiality, or misrepresent the organisation.

What should a social media policy include?

A social media policy should state its scope, who may post for the organisation, and how confidential information is protected. It should also set the standard of conduct toward colleagues and customers, rules for use at work, how to report a concern, and how breaches are handled. Each rule should explain why it exists.

A practical structure looks like this:

• Scope: official accounts, personal accounts where posts connect to work, and messaging groups with colleagues.
• Speaking for the organisation: who is authorised, and how others should refer media or public questions.
• Confidentiality: no client details, internal information, or colleagues’ personal information online.
• Respectful conduct: no harassment, bullying, discrimination, or threats toward colleagues, customers, or clients.
• Personal views: make clear when an opinion is personal rather than the organisation’s position.
• Use at work: reasonable personal use, consistent with the IT acceptable use policy.
• Reporting: how to report a concerning post, including one aimed at you.
• Breaches: how a breach is investigated and handled, consistent with your disciplinary process.

Group chats deserve an explicit mention in the policy. Messaging groups with colleagues feel private, yet they are where much work-related conduct now happens. As a result, conduct rules that stop at public platforms miss the place where problems most often start.

Can an employer control what employees post outside work?

Only to a limited extent, and only with a connection to work. According to the Fair Work Commission’s unfair dismissal benchbook, employers can supervise private activities only in exceptional circumstances. Out-of-hours conduct must have a relevant connection to the employment. An employer cannot simply assert reputational harm; it needs evidence the conduct damaged the relationship or its interests.

The benchbook summarises the test from Rose v Telstra. Out-of-hours conduct can be relevant where, viewed objectively, it is likely to cause serious damage to the employment relationship. It can also be relevant where it damages the employer’s interests, or where it is incompatible with the employee’s duty as an employee. A policy should mirror that test rather than claim control over everything staff post.

Some posts plainly cross the line, though. In one case the benchbook cites, an employee made negative and threatening comments about a colleague on Facebook. The Commission found that threatening a colleague was a sufficient reason for dismissal for serious misconduct. By contrast, a post that is merely critical, with no evidence of harm, is much harder to act on.

What can a social media policy not restrict?

A social media policy cannot override employees’ legal rights. According to the Fair Work Ombudsman, employees have a workplace right to share, or not share, information about their own pay. Pay secrecy terms are generally unenforceable, and employers cannot take adverse action against employees for exercising that right.

The exception to that right is narrow. Pay secrecy terms may still apply where a contract was made before 7 December 2022, contains such a term, and has not changed since. For everyone else, a policy that forbids “discussing salaries online” sets a rule the organisation cannot lawfully enforce, and invites a complaint.

Write the confidentiality section carefully for the same reason. “Do not disclose other people’s pay or personal information” is a sound rule, whereas “do not discuss your pay” is not. Similarly, keep the private conduct rules tied to the connection test. A blanket ban on criticising the organisation goes further than the Commission’s approach supports.

How does social media connect to harassment and the positive duty?

Online conduct connected to work is part of the workplace. According to the Australian Human Rights Commission, the right to be free from sexual harassment and sexist behaviour at work includes conduct online when it is connected to work. Under the Sex Discrimination Act, employers have a positive duty to take reasonable and proportionate measures to prevent it.

The scale of the problem is large and well documented. According to the Commission’s 2022 national survey, one in 3 workers experienced workplace sexual harassment in the last 5 years. Only 18% of incidents were reported, and only a third of workers think their organisation is doing enough. So a social media policy that names online harassment, explains how to report it, and states the consequences is one practical measure.

Consider a typical scenario in which a team runs a group chat on a personal messaging app, and one member repeatedly posts sexual jokes about a colleague. The chat sits outside company systems, but it connects to work, so it falls within the duty. Therefore, the social media policy and the bullying and harassment policy should point to each other and use the same reporting path.

How do you roll out a social media policy?

Roll out a social media policy by explaining it with real examples, training official account owners, and recording each person’s acknowledgement. Add it to onboarding, so new starters accept it on day one, and review it whenever platforms, laws, or your own accounts change.

A rollout that holds up usually includes:

• Examples: three or four realistic posts, showing which are fine and which are not.
• Account owners: separate guidance for staff who post on official accounts.
• Managers: a briefing on how to respond when a concerning post is reported.
• Acknowledgement: a record that each person received the version in force.
• Review: a yearly check, plus an update when a new platform or law changes the picture.

Consistency matters as much as the wording does. According to the Fair Work Commission, if widespread breaches of policy occur without an employer response, that weighs against a later dismissal being justified. In practice, address small breaches early with a conversation, so the policy keeps its meaning. For a wider view of why written rules earn their keep, see why workplace policies matter.

When is a template not enough?

Frequently asked questions

What should a social media policy include?

A social media policy should include its scope, who may post for the organisation, confidentiality rules, the standard of respectful conduct toward colleagues and customers, rules for personal use at work, how to report a concern, and how breaches are handled. Each rule should explain its purpose, so staff can apply it to new situations.

Can an employee be dismissed for a social media post?

Sometimes. The Fair Work Commission requires a relevant connection between the post and the employment, such as serious damage to the employment relationship or the employer’s interests. Threatening a colleague online has been found a valid reason for dismissal. A merely critical post, with no evidence of harm, is much harder to act on.

Can a social media policy stop employees discussing their pay?

Generally, no. Employees have a workplace right to share information about their own pay and the conditions needed to work it out. Pay secrecy terms are mostly unenforceable, except in some contracts made before 7 December 2022 and not changed since. A policy should protect other people’s pay information instead.

Does a social media policy apply outside work hours?

Partly. A social media policy can cover posts outside work hours that have a real connection to work, such as harassing a colleague or disclosing confidential information. The Fair Work Commission says employers can supervise private activities only in exceptional circumstances, so the policy should not claim control over everything staff post.

Is online harassment between colleagues a workplace issue?

Yes, when it is connected to work. The Australian Human Rights Commission says protection from sexual harassment at work includes conduct online that is connected to work. Employers have a positive duty under the Sex Discrimination Act to take reasonable and proportionate measures to prevent it. Clear policies and reporting paths are practical measures.

Related reading

• Sample bullying, discrimination and harassment policy
• Sample IT acceptable use policy
• Worknice HR document management

Sources

1. Fair Work Commission. “Conduct.” Unfair dismissals benchbook, last updated 12 December 2024. Retrieved 8 October 2026. https://www.fwc.gov.au/conduct
2. Fair Work Ombudsman. “Pay secrecy.” Last updated 26 November 2025. Retrieved 8 October 2026. https://www.fairwork.gov.au/pay-and-wages/pay-secrecy
3. Australian Human Rights Commission. “Factsheet for workers.” Positive duty resources. Retrieved 8 October 2026. https://humanrights.gov.au/resource-hub/resources-for-organisations-businesses/positive-duty-pdfs/factsheet-for-workers
4. Australian Human Rights Commission. “More about the positive duty in the Sex Discrimination Act.” Retrieved 8 October 2026. https://humanrights.gov.au/know-your-rights/rights-of-individuals/workplace-rights/positive-duty-sex-discrimination-act/more-about-the-positive-duty-in-the-sex-discrimination-act
5. Australian Human Rights Commission. “Time for respect: Fifth national survey on sexual harassment in Australian workplaces.” November 2022. Retrieved 8 October 2026. https://humanrights.gov.au/resource-hub/search-all-our-publications/reports-and-projects/projects/sex-and-gender-rights/time-for-respect-2022