Legal Terms for employee participation in Twelpforce:

  1. If you are an hourly (non-exempt) employee, you may participate in Twelpforce, with your manager’s approval, during your regular work hours. This includes time spent reading the Twelpforce Twitter feed and composing messages sent using the ‘#twelpforce’ hashtag, and all other work related to Twelpforce. Any participation outside of regularly scheduled work hours, other than paid time specifically authorized in advance by your manager, is voluntary, for your own benefit and not required, expected or encouraged as part of your employment (i.e., it’s not considered work and must not be done on the Company’s behalf). Your performance evaluations or opportunity for employment benefits (promotion, for example) will not be affected by your participation or nonparticipation outside of work hours.
  2. Twitter is Public. If you are uncomfortable with the fact that twitter is a public tool, and thus, makes your profile and twitter feed visible to everyone, we strongly recommend you set up a separate account specifically to interact with @twelpforce questions.
  3. Intellectual Property. By providing Best Buy with your website, blog, microblog, or video sharing account ("Your Site") URL or user ID, you grant Best Buy an irrevocable and unrestricted worldwide license to use, modify, reproduce, transmit, display, and distribute the Content (defined below) on Your Site for any purpose whatsoever to the extent permitted by law.
  4. Content is defined as anything you have placed on your website, blog, microblog, or video sharing account.
  5. Indemnification. You are responsible for the Content on Your Site and its distribution via the Best Buy website and Twitter. You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold Best Buy harmless for any and all claims related to your Content or Your Site. You also represent and warrant that you own, control, or have permission to use the Content on Your Site.
  6. Termination of Use. Best Buy may, at its sole discretion, refuse to include your Content on the Twelpforce Twitter page and/or affiliated sites. In addition, Best Buy may, at its sole discretion, terminate your use of this website, and the distribution of your Content, at any time.
  7. Blogging Guidelines. You are responsible for reading, understanding, and complying with "Best Buy's Blogging and Online Communication Guidelines" included below.

Best Buy Social Media Guidelines

Be smart. Be respectful. Be human.

Guidelines for functioning in an electronic world are the same as the values, ethics and confidentiality policies employees are expected to live everyday, whether you're Twittering, talking with customers or chatting over the neighbor's fence.

What You Should Do:
  • Disclose your Affiliation: If you talk about work related matters that are within your area of job responsibility you must disclose your affiliation with Best Buy.
  • State That It's YOUR Opinion: When commenting on the business. Unless authorized to speak on behalf of Best Buy, you must state that the views expressed are your own. Hourly employees should not speak on behalf of Best Buy when they are off the clock.
  • Protect Yourself: Be careful about what personal information you share online.
  • Act responsibly and ethically:When participating in online communities, do not misrepresent yourself. If you are not a vice president, don't say you are.
  • Honor Our Differences: Live the values. Best Buy will not tolerate discrimination (including age, sex, race, color, creed, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, disability, or marital status or any other legally recognized protected basis under federal, state, or local laws, regulations or ordinances).

What You Should Never Disclose:

  • The Numbers: Non-public financial or operational information. This includes strategies, forecasts and most anything with a dollar-figure attached to it. If it's not already public information, it's not your job to make it so.
  • Promotions: Internal communication regarding drive times, promotional activities or inventory allocations. Including: advance ads, drive time playbooks, holiday strategies and Retail Insider editions.
  • Personal Information: Never share personal information regarding other employees or customers. See the Customer Information Policies for more information.
  • Legal Information: Anything to do with a legal issue, legal case, or attorneys.
  • Anything that belongs to someone else: Let them post their own stuff; you stick to posting your own creations. This includes illegal music sharing, copyrighted publications, and all logos or other images that are trademarked by Best Buy.
  • Confidential Information: Do not publish, post, or release information that is considered confidential or top secret.

Basically, if you find yourself wondering if you can talk about something you learned at work -- don't. Follow Best Buy's policies and live the company's values and philosophies. They're there for a reason.

Just in case you are forgetful or ignore the guidelines above, here's what could happen. You could:

  • Get fired (and it's embarrassing to lose your job for something that's so easily avoided)
  • Get Best Buy in legal trouble with customers or investors
  • Cost us the ability to get and keep customers

Remember: protect the brand, protect yourself.

Finally, here are some policies you should keep in mind whenever you are communicating about or on behalf of Best Buy:
Customer Information Policies
Information Security Policy
Code of Business Ethics
Confidentiality Policy
Policy Against Sexual Harassment
Policy Against All Forms of Harassment
Inappropriate Conduct Policy
Securities Trading Policy

For more information, employees can visit:
http://bbyportal.com/wiki/index.php?title=Blogging_Guidelines