Social media is a very important tool for communicating with our family and friends. Social media platforms as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Snapchat and many others are fantastic for keeping in touch, sharing information and general entertainment. It should be remembered that the use of instant communication tools must be done carefully, responsibly and with regard to negative consequences, considering that any information posted will stay on the internet for ever. A post that appears innocent from a seafarer’s perspective can be misinterpreted by others to derive unwanted conclusions. We have come up with a few guidelines and a social media check-list to provide helpful and practical advice for you when operating on the internet as an identifiable employee of the Safe Bulkers Inc., and its Management companies, Safe Bulkers Management Ltd., Safe Bulkers Management Monaco Inc., and Safety Management Overseas S.A.

YOU NEED TO RECOGNISE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PERSONAL POST AND A COMPANY RELATED POST.

WHILE AN INDIVIDUAL MAY POST IN THE INTERNET ANYTHING CONCERNING SPECIFICALLY HIMSELF, A COMPANY RELATED POST IS STRICKTLY CONTROLLED BY THE CODE OF ETHICS AND THE PRESENT SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY.

 The following guidelines should be considered before posting online.

• Read carefully the Safe Bulkers Code of Conduct and the present Social Media Policy.
• Never publish inaccurate information and comments.
• Do not violate the privacy of your fellow seafarers and co-workers.
• Respect copyright. If it is not yours, don’t use it.
• Respect your audience and your colleagues. Don’t use ethnic slurs, personal insults, obscenity, or engage in any conduct that would not be acceptable in workplace.
• Show proper consideration for topics that may be considered objectionable or inflammatory (like religion or politics).
• You are personally responsible for the content you publish on blogs, wikis or any other form of user-generated media. Please remember that the internet never forgets. This means everything you publish will be visible to the world for a very, very long time.
• Use common sense. If you are about to publish/post something that makes you even the slightest bit uncomfortable, don’t publish/post it. If you are still unsure and it is related to your work, talk to Company’s management, (please find contacts below).
• Do not comment on work-related matters. It is perfectly fine to talk about yourself and have a dialogue with the community but it is not okay to talk about Company information.
• Think about consequences. Using your public voice to trash or embarrass your employer, charterers, suppliers, co-workers or even yourself is not okay.
• Always write in the first person and don’t use your company email address for private communications. Please consider that even anonymous postings on various sites, can be traced back.
• Even if you act with the best intentions, you must consider that anything that you put out there can potentially harm you, your colleagues or your Company. This goes for all internal media as well, like interoffice messages.
• Disciplinary action will be taken against employees violating the Social Media Policy.
• Only very few people in our Company are official spokespersons, so if you are not one of them you must make clear that you are speaking for yourself and not for the Company. When you discuss about the Company on the internet, you must identify yourself with your name and, your role. In such case you can use a disclaimer like “The postings on this site are my own and do not represent the position, strategy or opinions of Safe Bulkers and its Management companies”.
• All items/information found, displayed and stored on our internal networks/ databases are considered “for internal use only”. It is absolutely not meant to be forwarded to anyone who is not employed by the Company.
• Messages from our Board of Directors, CEO, President or senior management to all employees are not meant for the media.
• Company has specific procedures to address any issue including, violations of policies. In case of a policy violation communicate directly to the Company’s responsible officers immediately. All postings of any kind on social media in relation to a policy violation are strictly forbidden.
• In the event of an emergency incident the Company will appoint an authorized spokesperson to update the media based on confirmed facts. Postings of any kind on social media in relation to the incident are not allowed. During such times, the news media may make direct approaches to seafarers and any such approaches should be referred back to the Company’s authorized spokesperson.

The following social media check-list should be considered before posting online. Ask yourself:

• Is my post in compliance with the Company’s media policy?
• Do I know all my social media friends?
• Will I be OK with my colleagues seeing this?
• Will I be OK with my superior seeing this?
• Will I be OK with the Company’s Board of Directors seeing this?
• Will I be OK with a charterer seeing this?
• Will I be OK with a banker seeing this?
• Will I be OK with a journalist seeing this?
• Am I the nominated and authorized official media spokesperson?
  

If your answer is “no” to any of the above questions, you should probably reconsider your post.

For inquiries about whether a situation violates any applicable law, rule, regulation or Company policy please send an email at [email protected]. Each inquiry sent will be reviewed by the Company which will develop a strategy for the investigation of such inquiry and, if necessary, the implementation of any corrective action. In conducting any review or investigation, the Company will use reasonable efforts to protect the confidentiality consistent with the need to conduct an adequate investigation.

This Policy applies to all employees, directors, officers, agents and crew on board vessels, of Safe Bulkers Inc., its subsidiaries and to all employees, directors, officers, agents of Safe Bulkers Management Ltd., Safe Bulkers Management Monaco Inc., and of Safety Management Overseas S.A.

Social media is a fantastic innovation available to seafarers. It can close the distance between ship and shore and bring your family into your cabin and if used carefully and sensibly, it can enhance the life on board.

Safe sailing.