Page 59 - Footprint Employee Handbook - US 2021

Laws forbidding any partisan political activity: As a 501(c)(3) organization, certain legal restrictions apply to Footprint
with respect to lobbying and partisan political activity. Footprint as an organization therefore should never appear as
a “Fan” on any social media page/feed of an elected official, candidate for office or partisan political cause.
When names, photos, user IDs, etc. are involved in social media posts/updates, secure written permission for use
and error on the side of caution.
The ultimate success of Footprint’s social networking efforts depends on the quality and value of the content – as
well as whether it is updated frequently enough to attract and sustain an audience. Set benchmarks and measurable
goals to identify which posts contain the information of most interest and relevancy to Footprint’s audience and to
ensure the overall effectiveness of Footprint social media efforts.

Style/Technical Specifics - Blogs
• Every blog entry should include a byline.
• The format for the byline is by: First name, Last name, where the name is linked either to the author’s biography
or his/her contact.
• Time-specific references should be offered when relevant but bear in mind that the entry may not be read on
the day or moment of its release.
• For example, say, “The bill will be introduced today (Tuesday).”
• “Live blogging” or posts that will be updated later should be described as such. Live blogging is not exempt
from review requirements if the author must usually have his/her work cleared by a supervisor before
publication.
Violations

Any Footprint user found to have violated any policy, standard or procedure may be subject to disciplinary action, up
to and including termination of employment. Violators of local, state, Federal, and/or international law will be reported
to the appropriate law enforcement agency for civil and/or criminal prosecution.
Exceptions
While every exception to a policy or standard potentially weakens protection mechanisms for Footprint information
systems and underlying data, occasionally exceptions will exist. All out of policy exceptions are to be referred to
Human Resources for review.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

CONFIDENTIALITY OF COMPANY INFORMATION
It is the responsibility of all Footprint employees to safeguard the sensitive Company and client information described
below. The nature of our business and the economic well-being of our Company are dependent upon protecting and
maintaining proprietary Company information, even after separation of employment.

The Company’s confidential and proprietary information includes, but is not limited, to the following its trade secrets
or confidential information relating to products, processes, know-how, customers, designs, drawings, formulas, test
data, marketing data, accounting, pricing information, business plans and strategies, negotiations and contracts,
inventions, and discoveries. All such information shall be appropriately marked or verbally identified to each
employee.

No information, including without limitation, documents, notes, files, records, oral information, computer files or
similar materials (except in the ordinary course of performing duties on behalf of Footprint) may be removed from
Company premises without appropriate authorization. Employees may not disclose any of the confidential and
proprietary information described above, purposefully, or inadvertently through casual conversation, to any
unauthorized person inside or outside the Company. Confidential information should only be disclosed and/or
discussed on a ‘need to know’ basis. Continued employment with the Company is contingent upon compliance with
this policy. Upon termination of your employment, you must immediately return all of the Company’s confidential and
proprietary information, whether in hard copy or electronic format.

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