EATA Social Media Guidelines
Introduction
These guidelines provide assistance to EATA members with their engagement with social media. They relate directly to EATA’s own ethics and professional practices codes and complaints procedures. All EATA affiliated organisations are required to have their own Social Media Policy that directly relates to their own codes of ethics, procedures and protocols for managing complaints. EATA members will also be members of an affiliated organisation so are advised to consult their affiliated organisations social media policy.
National Laws
EATA follows the requirements of Swiss law in relation to matters concerning data protection. All EATA affiliated organisations will follow their national countries legal requirements concerning the managing and protection of data.
The relationship with social media and the EATA Code of Ethics.
The EATA codes relating to ethics and professional practices obligations apply equally to online and offline behaviours. The same requirements to maintain ethical and professional behaviours, attitudes and judgements exist within social media as outside of it. This would mean that in the case of EATA their protocols for complaints can and should be applied where necessary to online actions directly related to EATA matters. All EATA members are also members of affiliated organisations and those affiliated organisations codes and complaints protocols will also apply to online actions.
Social Media Profiles and Privacy Requirements
Members of EATA should maintain awareness that clients, peers, colleagues and fellow professionals are likely to be able to access your profiles. Bear in mind, with respect to your profiles on social media platforms, to only involve those pages that you want to be professionally associated with. Always ensure your profile is up to date and consider how firm a boundary you should keep between your private life and your professional life. We encourage practitioners to keep the public and the private as separate as possible. Finally, awareness that much of what you post online cannot be protected should be born in mind. All online posts must be considered from this perspective.
Your Professional Reputation
Make sure you know what your affiliated organisation’s social media policy is as you will be required to follow it. EATA members can be viewed as role models and It is a good idea to be mindful of the impact anything you put online might have. You have specific responsibilities arising from your professional standing and responsibilities arising from being a member of EATA. In addition you have
responsibilities to the EATA community, colleagues, and the affiliated organisation/s you are a member of. In addition you will all have a sense of wider responsibilities to your own values and the world you wish for, which a social media presence will be a contribution to
Make sure you know what your affiliated organisation’s social media policy is as you will be required to follow it. It is also a good idea to be mindful of the impact anything you put online might have on your professional standing, on your clients, your colleagues, EATA and the affiliated organisation/s you are a member of.
Your Work as a Transactional Analyst
Online the usual offline considerations apply – maintain privacy, keep to appropriate boundaries and avoid harmful dual relationships.
Your Words Online
Use respectful language that is polite and considerate and that encourages communication. Do participate in debate and critiquing with commitment and passion but stay within the EATA codes that our community has agreed as their basic ethical standards for an open, energetic and involving community.
EATA Communications Committee and EATA Ethical Advisor July 2022