NATIONAL BLACK WORKER CENTER
HUMAN RESOURCES – MIRCOSOFT TEAM'S MESSAGING POLICY
1.0 Purpose
The purpose of this Travel & Expensen
2.0 Scope
This policy applies to but is not limited to faculty, staff, interns, vendor representatives,
consultants, temporary staff, and other workers in NBWC, including all personnel affiliated with
third parties. This policy applies to but is not limited to all equipment connected to NBWC
networks, used in NBWC facilities, or outside NBWC facilities to conduct NBWC business.
Exceptions to this policy may be necessary to perform security audits or other authorized
purposes. Any exceptions must be coordinated through the NBWC Executive Staff (Executive
Director, Deputy Executive Director) or Director of Human Resources.
3.0 Policy
3.1. External Teams Messaging
Teams are a helpful tool that allows easy communication across NBWC offices and those
staff members who work remotely. It is meant to be an informal means of
communication between our staff. Used well it should create the same sort of atmosphere
as if we were all in the same offices.
Our policy is that teams should become the standard means of informal communication
using 'Face Teams,' ultimately replacing the phone and email for noncritical NBWC
communications. Although casual, Teams are still a workplace tool. Please communicate
responsibly and with consideration to your colleagues, not all of whom may share your
sense of humor or understand the intended tone of your messages.
3.2. Internal Teams Messaging
a. Teams are an informal communication tool. It aims to create the same sort of
informal chatty method of communication that you would have if everyone
were sitting together in the same office.
b. Teams can be used to message a person or a group; to conduct a video call
with a person or a group; to have a phone call with a person or a group; to
check calendars or set up a project working group.
There are two core uses.
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3.3. Acceptable Teams Messaging Use
We would expect teams to be used for the following:
I.
Informal communication across the organization
a. Updates about your movements across the organization*
b. Information about your holiday
c. How to contact you if you are traveling all-day
d. Chats about bits of work or questions to colleagues
e. Excellent feedback from a customer
f. Water cooler chat (e.g., who should win Strictly, what is going on in politics, sector
'gossip' of a non-personal nature)
g. Quick questions about work are those that you would yell across the office to a colleague
h. Sharing informal knowledge and learning, either across the organization or in the
appropriate Teams group. *
Please note that this is an informal update for everyone at the organization. Staff should, of
course, continue to speak personally to anyone who will directly be affected by their absence
from the office.
II.
Project working
Teams are beneficial for project work. You can effectively have project team meetings to discuss
what is going on without having to meet physically. You can do this via video call, or a group
set up expressly for the project.
Staff, when setting up a project group, should do the following:
a. Inform the project team members
b. Set up the group
c. Determine the protocols around sharing documents – for example, there may be times
when an email is needed or links to SharePoint in teams
d. Ensure that the group is admin accessible even if the project leader is not available
4.0 Acknowledging messages
Teams should be checked by all staff members a minimum of twice in the morning and twice in
the afternoon. Once a staff member has seen a message, they should use the 'like' function, so the
original 'poster' knows their message has been noted.
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5.0 What Teams should not be used for
Term
Teams Messaging (TEAMS)
Definition
It is not easy to track a topic or particular message
in a group in Teams, so there are some things that it
does not work well for.
Scenario # 1
It should not, in normal circumstances, be used for
document collaboration unless the document is on
SharePoint and the link is shared. Please note that,
unlike emails, team’s conversations can be hard to
search, so think about what is going to the easiest
and most effective way for your colleagues to
collaborate on Teams.
In Doubt Use Email (IDUE)
Similarly, email and SharePoint are preferred when
dealing with documents/information that includes
lots of detail and may need to be traced back later.
When using the Teams messaging service, staff
should ask themselves about the relevant
importance of their question to the organization's
running. Consider if it is something that needs to be
formally tracked or audited in the future. If in doubt,
use email.
6.0 Video Conferencing Policy
As stated in NBC's 'Video Conferencing' Policy, virtual meetings are beneficial and can save
travel time and expense. It is also more effective to see the faces of the people you are remotely
engaging with, so we would expect Face Teams to be the default communication mechanism.
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The video conferencing capabilities in Teams should now be used in 'Skype for Business' for
both planned 'virtual meetings' and instant short term 'mini-meetings' requiring quick decisions.
Please see the Video Conferencing Policy for more information regarding preparing for a 'virtual
meeting
7.0 Resources
For additional guidance, refer to NBWC Policies:
0000 – Glossary of Computer Data and System Terminology
0000 – Computer and Network Security
0000 – HIPAA
0000 – Use of Institutional Data
0000– Organizational Archives and Records Management
8.0 Revision History
This Effective Version Date – 07/06/21
Policy's Initial Date (InterTEAMS Draft) –
07/02/21
Original Draft – 7/01/21
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