Scottish Mum Blog

This privacy policy sets out how Scottish Mum Blog uses and protects any information that you give Scottish Mum Blog when you use this website.

Scottish Mum Blog is committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected. Should we ask you to provide certain information by which you can be identified when using this website, then you can be assured that it will only be used in accordance with this privacy statement.

Scottish Mum Blog may change this policy from time to time by updating this page. You should check this page from time to time to ensure that you are happy with any changes. This updated policy is effective from 19/1/2012

Cookies

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We’ll assume you’re ok with this, but you can leave if you wish. Rejecting cookies will take you to google.com, leaving the scottish mum blog website. You can also close your browser page to leave the blog.

What we collect

We may collect the following information:

• name and job title
• contact information including email address
• demographic information such as postcode, preferences and interests
• other information relevant to customer surveys and/or offers

What we do with the information we gather

We require this information to understand your needs and provide you with a better service, and in particular for the following reasons:

• Internal record keeping.
• We may use the information to improve our products and services.
• From time to time, we may also use your information to contact you for market research purposes. We may contact you by email, phone, fax or mail.

Security

How we use cookies

A cookie is a small file which asks permission to be placed on your computer’s hard drive. Once you agree, the file is added and the cookie helps analyse web traffic or lets you know when you visit a particular site. Cookies allow web applications to respond to you as an individual. The web application can tailor its operations to your needs, likes and dislikes by gathering and remembering information about your preferences.

We may use traffic log cookies to identify which pages are being used. This helps us analyse data about webpage traffic and improve our website in order to tailor it to customer needs.

A cookie in no way gives us access to your computer or any information about you, other than the data you choose to share with us.

You can choose to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. This may prevent you from taking full advantage of the website.

Special Note About Google,  Amazon and Affiliate Advertising

Any advertisements served by Google, Inc., and affiliated companies may be controlled using cookies. These cookies allow Google to display ads based on your visits to this site and other sites that use Google advertising services. Learn how to opt out of Google’s cookie usage. As mentioned above, any tracking done by Google through cookies and other mechanisms is subject to Google’s own privacy policies.

About Google advertising: What is the DoubleClick DART cookie? The DoubleClick DART cookie is used by Google in the ads served on publisher websites displaying AdSense for content ads. When users visit an AdSense publisher’s website and either view or click on an ad, a cookie may be dropped on that end user’s browser. The data gathered from these cookies will be used to help AdSense publishers better serve and manage the ads on their site(s) and across the web. Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy.

Links to other websites

Our website may contain links to other websites of interest. However, once you have used these links to leave our site, you should note that we do not have any control over that other website. Therefore, we cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide whilst visiting such sites and such sites are not governed by this privacy statement. You should exercise caution and look at the privacy statement applicable to the website in question.

Cookies may be placed on your computer if you decide to share any blog posts or links from our site through Twitter, Facebook Stumbleupon, Google, Yahoo, Pinterest, or any other social media and sharing link, including forums, message centres, networks and chat facilities from our site.  Once you have used these links, to leave our site, you should not that we do not have any control over that other website.  Therefore, we cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide whilst visiting such sites and such sites are not governed by this privacy statement. You should exercise caution and look at the privacy statement applicable to the website in question.

Controlling your personal information

You may choose to restrict the collection or use of your personal information in the following ways:

• whenever you are asked to fill in a form on the website, look for the box that you can click to indicate that you do not want the information to be used by anybody for direct marketing purposes
• if you have previously agreed to us using your personal information for direct marketing purposes, you may change your mind at any time by emailing us throug our contact form.

We will not sell, distribute or lease your personal information to third parties unless we have your permission or are required by law to do so.

You may request details of personal information which we hold about you under the Data Protection Act 1998. A small fee will be payable. If you would like a copy of the information, please contact us.

DISCLOSURE

This policy is valid from 28 October 2010, revised 31 November 2011, revised 20th March 2013

THIS BLOG ACCEPTS PAID FOR POSTS AND LINKS

This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. This blog may accept any form of cash advertising, sponsorship, or paid topic insertions. However, we will and do accept and keep free products, services, travel, event tickets, and other forms of compensation from companies and organizations.

This blog abides by word of mouth marketing standards. We believe in honesty of relationship, opinion and identity. The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post will be marked to show paid or sponsored content.

Guest Posts 

Will be identified on the post, either within the title, or in the first few sentences.

Sponsored Posts

Sponsored posts are posts that I have written, and retain editorial control over.  There may simply be links within posts stating the name of the company on the link, so that you can decide for yourself whether to click.

A sponsored post, commissioned post, or one that I have been paid for on Scottish Mum Blog may use the words:

• “Featured Post”
• “Sponsored Post”
• “Advertorial”
• “In Association With”
• “Commissioned By”
• “In Collaboration With”

The owner(s) of this blog may be compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, we always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products.  The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers’ own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.

This blog does contain content which might present a conflict of interest.  This content may not always be identified.

To get your own policy, go to http://www.disclosurepolicy.org

 PRIVACY POLICY

Scottish Mum Blog

This privacy policy sets out how Scottish Mum Blog uses and protects any information that you give Scottish Mum Blog when you use this website.

Scottish Mum Blog is committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected. Should we ask you to provide certain information by which you can be identified when using this website, then you can be assured that it will only be used in accordance with this privacy statement.

Scottish Mum Blog may change this policy from time to time by updating this page. You should check this page from time to time to ensure that you are happy with any changes. This updated policy is effective from 19/1/2012

What we collect

We may collect the following information:

• name and job title
• contact information including email address
• demographic information such as postcode, preferences and interests
• other information relevant to customer surveys and/or offers

SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT GOOGLE,  AMAZON AND AFFILIATE ADVERTISING

Any advertisements served by Google, Inc., and affiliated companies may be controlled using cookies. These cookies allow Google to display ads based on your visits to this site and other sites that use Google advertising services. Learn how to opt out of Google’s cookie usage. As mentioned above, any tracking done by Google through cookies and other mechanisms is subject to Google’s own privacy policies.

About Google advertising: What is the DoubleClick DART cookie? The DoubleClick DART cookie is used by Google in the ads served on publisher websites displaying AdSense for content ads. When users visit an AdSense publisher’s website and either view or click on an ad, a cookie may be dropped on that end user’s browser. The data gathered from these cookies will be used to help AdSense publishers better serve and manage the ads on their site(s) and across the web. Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy.

What we do with the information we gather

We require this information to understand your needs and provide you with a better service, and in particular for the following reasons:

• Internal record keeping.
• We may use the information to improve our products and services.
• From time to time, we may also use your information to contact you for market research purposes. We may contact you by email, phone, fax or mail.

Security

How we use cookies

A cookie is a small file which asks permission to be placed on your computer’s hard drive. Once you agree, the file is added and the cookie helps analyse web traffic or lets you know when you visit a particular site. Cookies allow web applications to respond to you as an individual. The web application can tailor its operations to your needs, likes and dislikes by gathering and remembering information about your preferences.

We may use traffic log cookies to identify which pages are being used. This helps us analyse data about webpage traffic and improve our website in order to tailor it to customer needs.

A cookie in no way gives us access to your computer or any information about you, other than the data you choose to share with us.

You can choose to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. This may prevent you from taking full advantage of the website.

Special Note About Google,  Amazon and Affiliate Advertising

Any advertisements served by Google, Inc., and affiliated companies may be controlled using cookies. These cookies allow Google to display ads based on your visits to this site and other sites that use Google advertising services. Learn how to opt out of Google’s cookie usage. As mentioned above, any tracking done by Google through cookies and other mechanisms is subject to Google’s own privacy policies.

About Google advertising: What is the DoubleClick DART cookie? The DoubleClick DART cookie is used by Google in the ads served on publisher websites displaying AdSense for content ads. When users visit an AdSense publisher’s website and either view or click on an ad, a cookie may be dropped on that end user’s browser. The data gathered from these cookies will be used to help AdSense publishers better serve and manage the ads on their site(s) and across the web. Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy.

 Links to other websites

Our website may contain links to other websites of interest. However, once you have used these links to leave our site, you should note that we do not have any control over that other website. Therefore, we cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide whilst visiting such sites and such sites are not governed by this privacy statement. You should exercise caution and look at the privacy statement applicable to the website in question.

Cookies may be placed on your computer if you decide to share any blog posts or links from our site through Twitter, Facebook Stumbleupon, Google, Yahoo, Pinterest, or any other social media and sharing link, including forums, message centres, networks and chat facilities from our site.  Once you have used these links, to leave our site, you should not that we do not have any control over that other website.  Therefore, we cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide whilst visiting such sites and such sites are not governed by this privacy statement. You should exercise caution and look at the privacy statement applicable to the website in question.

Controlling your personal information

You may choose to restrict the collection or use of your personal information in the following ways:

• whenever you are asked to fill in a form on the website, look for the box that you can click to indicate that you do not want the information to be used by anybody for direct marketing purposes
• if you have previously agreed to us using your personal information for direct marketing purposes, you may change your mind at any time by emailing us throug our contact form.

We will not sell, distribute or lease your personal information to third parties unless we have your permission or are required by law to do so.

You may request details of personal information which we hold about you under the Data Protection Act 1998. A small fee will be payable. If you would like a copy of the information, please contact us.

It’s sheer madness to have Internet access in the workplace without a social media policy.

It’s easy for me to say that, but how on earth do you make up a policy?  It can be difficult to find out how to write one if you have never used social media yourself, or have few ideas of how to even go about drawing one up.

The easiest way to look at it is to have online rules the same as office rules.

This is not just an acceptable use policy as our social media  interactions are completely different from browsing or shopping online.

Adding on to existing e-mail or Internet policies could work, but as this type of media is used in different ways, it could have its own policy that is an add-on to work rules.

The advice in this post is for guidance only.   It does not replace the need to seek professional advice.

Why do I need a Policy?

Some businesses have workers who don’t have access to the Internet at work,  yet the need for a policy that covers social media is relevant due to the ease of access to the Internet using personal gadgets, mobile phones and tablet computers.

Policies will not necessarily have to be drawn up from scratch.  For example, you may already have guidelines for the use of emails and the Internet that can be expanded.

A social media policy can “help” you protect yourself and your liability for what your employees do.

It would also help your employees to know what they are allowed to say about the business, and what they are NOT allowed to say.

If your employees use social media as part of their job, then be clear what is allowed and what is not allowed in each type of use.  The law has to be taken into consideration and the rules for data protection and discrimination have to be followed with business related accounts.

What should be in it?

Explanations about what is appropriate and what is not.  Explain how the use of social media will be monitored and what will happen for employees who breach the policy terms.  E.g explaining how it will tie in with disciplinary procedures.

For employees using company networks, there are many areas you might need to cover.  Wi-fi and Internet access, restrictions on software downloads, how to use firewalls, security features, time limits, Internet browsing and e-mail rules should all be interconnected with the policy that needs to be in place for social networking media.

Use of private devices such as mobile phones, tablets and computers, accessing the Internet and using Social Media on Company time need to be taken into account.

Social Media Specifics

State appropriate use of privacy settings.  Remind staff that privacy settings do not necessarily mean that what you have shared on social media will stay private.  Other people may well share the information and pass it on.  If they would not be comfortable with an employer seeing what they have shared, don’t share it.

This could tie in with bullying, harassment, defamation and more.

Blogging, Facebook, Google +  Micro Blogging (Tweeting) etc

Outline how an employee would represent the Company and set out the rules of engagement while using it.   Ensure employees are aware of legal requirements around data protection, copyright and disclosure.

Monitoring

State how the policy will be monitored, and what steps will be taken if there is any negative result which impacts on your business as a result of an employees actions.

Performance Management

Set targets for use and engagement levels of social media for employees who carry out social media on behalf of the business.

How to Set Up a Social Networking Policy or Procedure?

Consult, consult, consult.  If your staff are involved in drawing up your social media policy and procedures, they are going to find it easier to buy into the policy.  It also ensures it is appropriate to your needs, and ensures that you have discussed and talked over the legal and confidentiality issues.

Consulting – or talking with your employees allows them to know what the levels of expectations are.  Make sure you listen to your employees as well as talking to them.  For monitoring purposes, having the support of your employees to agree to appropriate usage policies helps them to identify with the content.

Review, Review, Review

Reviewing social networking policies and procedures regularly is an absolute requirement.   I would recommend a frequency of no more than 3 months apart to make sure that you are still carrying appropriate guidelines.  The speed that social media is evolving, moving, and altering course means that the policy needs to be dynamic and interactive in itself.

What you find is appropriate for your business may not be appropriate for J Bloggs next door due to the personal nature of the media.

Legal

Be aware of Human Rights Legislation, the Investigatory Powers Act, and current Data Protection legislation.  With those in mind, you should manage to draw up a fairly comprehensive social networking media policy that suits your needs. The policy should tie in with your current employment terms  and conditions in relation to Discipline, Grievance, E-Mail, Internet and Confidentiality.

I would advise an employment law specialist or lawyer to check over your work for suitability once it is drawn up.  The cost of professional advice could potentially save you a lot of money in the long term.