TfL Ref: FOI-0037-1718
Thank you for your email received by us on 04 April 2017 asking for information about Social Media in the workplace .
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act and our information access policy. You asked:
I would like to know the following under FOI legislation please.
Number of recorded HR incidents involving the following over the last three years 2017, 2016, 2015 broken down by year.
HR incidents recorded around misuse of the following tools:
• WhatsApp
• Instagram
• SnapChat
• Facbeook
• Twitter
• Spotify
For each incident please include detail on the nature of the incident e.g. posting inappropriate images and detail on the outcome e.g. written warning, dismissal etc
Unfortunately, to provide the information you have requested would exceed the ‘appropriate limit’ of £450 set by the Freedom of Information (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004.
Under section 12 of the FOI Act, we are not obliged to comply with a request if we estimate that the cost of determining whether we hold the information, locating and retrieving it and extracting it from other information would exceed the appropriate limit. This is calculated at £25 per hour for every hour spent on the activities described.
The misuse of social media might be a contributory factor in different types of incident recorded by HR. Our social media policy states that employees should not use social media in a way that:
• disparages or otherwise brings into disrepute TfL or its employees, passengers, customers or suppliers
• harasses, bullies or unlawfully discriminates against TfL’s employees, passengers, customers, suppliers or other third parties
• breaches any of TfL’s policies
• breaches any other laws or regulatory requirements.
Because misuse of social media may play a role in breaches of a number of TfL policies the only way to obtain the requested information would be to instigate a review of all incidents reported to HR to determine whether social media played a part in any of them. This would take substantially more time than the 18 hours available before the ‘appropriate limit’ is reached.
If you want to refine your request or make a Freedom of Information Act request in future, please bear in mind that the Freedom of Information Act allows you to request recorded information held by us. You should identify the information that you want as clearly and concisely as you can, specifying the types of document that you are looking for. You might also consider limiting your request to a particular period of time, geographical area or specific departments of the organisation.
Although your request can take the form of a question, rather than a request for specific documents, we do not have to answer your question if it would require the creation of new information or the provision of a judgement, explanation, advice or opinion that was not already recorded at the time of your request.
Please note that we will not be taking further action until we receive your revised request.
In the meantime, if you have any queries or would like to discuss your request, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.
Yours sincerely
Paulina Tuffour
FOI Case Officer
FOI Case Management Team
General Counsel
Transport for London
