See also EmailEtiquetteGuidelines

3.2.4 Online Communication Policy

The Glen Waverley Uniting Church Congregation is committed to ensuring that all internal and external communications, including email communications and contact through social media, are responsible, respectful and lawful.

Scope

This policy applies to all Congregation members, adherents, and volunteers when communicating via e-mail and social media platforms to others within the Congregation, or on behalf of the Congregation.

Objective

To ensure that email correspondence between Congregation members and adherents and with external parties is responsible, respectful and lawful.

Definitions

Definitions for the purposes of this policy are as follows:

• ‘Email correspondence’ relates to all material sent electronically from one user to another (it includes all messages that are forwarded on or composed by the sender). It includes all attachments as well.
• ‘Synod staff’ means all persons whether lay or ordained who are appointed to a particular job responsibility within the Synod operations
• ‘Volunteers’ includes interns and other volunteers who are giving their time without cost to work with different units and commissions within the Synod

Conditions relating to appropriate and professional email use:

(a) Email communication is a professional document. Please include salutation and sign off remarks. Be aware of grammar and spelling. Ensure the subject header captures the purpose of the contents.

(b) As a rule of thumb, refrain from using the subject header as the sole contents of the email. This does not fit with the concept of a professional document.

(c) Avoid sending emails to the whole Congregation, or Church Council, unless it is of relevance and significance to all.

(d) Email does not come with body language, so it is important for users to express themselves carefully and with consideration. Humour, irony and sarcasm do not work in email correspondence.

(e) Be respectful.

(f) Do not send or forward emails containing libellous, defamatory, offensive, sexist, racist or obscene remarks or images.

(g) Do not engage in bullying behaviour online. The Church Council does not condone bullying in any form.

(h) Use the Carbon Copy feature (CC) sparingly. People do not have time to read material which has little immediate relevance. If the person is not required to act or respond to the information, and it does not immediately relate to them, do not copy them in.

(i) If a Congregation Member or Adherent receives emails addressed personally, think carefully before forwarding on as this can lead to invasion of privacy or escalation of issue.

(j) Do not write in capital letters – upper case implies shouting.

(k) Email should not be a replacement for face-to-face or phone call contact.

(l) Be aware of attachments. Large files clog the email inbox, preventing the user from receiving any other email until that one email is deleted. If files are expected to be large, contact the receiver and advise them accordingly, or attach the file to the website where users can retrieve the file at their convenience.

(m) When doing a mailing, or sending an email to many people use the BCC field or mail merge to preserve other people’s privacy and not display their email addresses.

(n) Email privacy is important. As specified in the UCA’s email privacy message at the end of each email:

“This email is confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, any use of the information is prohibited. If this email is received in error please notify us immediately by return email and delete the email and any attachments. The Uniting Church in Australia and the congregation of Glen Waverley Uniting Church accept no liability for any damage caused by this email or its attachments due to viruses, unauthorised access or alteration. Unless otherwise stated any views or opinions expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Uniting Church.”

(o) Do not send or distribute chain letters.

(p) Before sending a message, re-read it to check that it is unlikely to anger or offend anyone. It is usually not possible to retrieve messages once they have been sent.