Use of External Social Media

Use of External Social Media

1. INTRODUCTION
Social media -- such as blogs and microblogs (e.g. Twitter), online social networks (e.g., Facebook), wikis
and media sharing sites (e.g. YouTube) -- have become valuable forums for personal communication and
increasingly important as vehicles for companies to connect with customers and other stakeholders.
These are powerful communications tools with complex implications for both business and personal use.
Therefore, Saint-Gobain has developed the following Policy and accompanying Best Practices designed to:

articulate the Companys expectations regarding use of externally-hosted social media by SaintGobain employees;

differentiate between personal use of social media and official use of external social media as a
Company-sponsored business activity;

provide guidance on best practices when using externally-hosted social media. This Policy and Best
Practices applies to all Saint-Gobain employees in North America.

References to Saint-Gobain or the Company cover all Saint-Gobain brands, entities and business units in
North America. The Policy and Best Practices are not intended to constrain you from expressing personal
views -- every employee is entitled to his or her own opinions. However, there are times when an employees
personal views may be attributed to his or her employer, or perceived to bear special weight because of the
individuals position in the organization. This may have unintended and harmful effects on you, on SaintGobain, its subsidiaries and brands, or on other Company employees. For this reason, the Company has
crafted the following Policy and accompanying Best Practices to help you avoid causing damage to yourself,
your co-workers and the Company.
Please note that this Policy and Best Practices applies specifically to externally-hosted social media. Separate
guidance will be provided regarding any social media tools supplied by the Company for internal use through
the Companys own networks.
2. POLICY

Follow all Company Policies: All Saint-Gobain policies regarding employee communications apply
to comments about the Company or its employees, customers, suppliers or competitors when made
by an employee in postings on social media. Specifically, be sure to always refer back to SaintGobains Code of Ethics and Business Conduct Guidelines.

Protect Confidentiality: Before you include any information about the Company in a posting in
social media, you must consider whether it may contain confidential or proprietary information. For
guidance about what might constitute confidential information, please consult the Companys
Practical Guide to Competition Compliance, as well as the Standard Employment Agreements
section on safeguarding Saint-Gobains confidential information and trade secrets. Do not post
confidential or proprietary information about Saint-Gobain, its business units, brands, employees,
customers, suppliers or competitors. Employees who share confidential information will be subject to
disciplinary action and possibly termination.

In addition, be aware of situations in which you might be communicating unintentionally with competitors.
Those kinds of communications could be misinterpreted by a third party and thereby expose you and/or
Saint-Gobain to significant legal risk. In particular avoid any kind of discussion of price, our pricing policies or
plans.

Some customers may be tempted to ask sales representatives or others, questions about pricing in a social
media setting. For example, a customer may pose a question on your Facebook wall. Instead of responding in
this public arena, send an email or contact the customer via telephone. Pricing information is proprietary and
public discussion would be a violation of the Companys policies. Again, please refer to the Practical Guide to
Competition Compliance, as well as the Standard Employment Agreements section on safeguarding SaintGobains confidential information and trade secrets.

Separate the Personal from the Professional: While you and some of your readers may regard your
personal postings in social media as an expression of personal views, other readers may interpret
comments made by an employee as statements that are endorsed, instigated or sponsored by the
Company. If you feel compelled to express views about the Company, its products, its businesses,
other employees, or any Saint-Gobain customer, supplier or competitor in a personal posting, you
should make it clear that the views you are expressing are your personal opinions and not those of
the Company. Please remember that you may be subject to disciplinary action if, in a private
posting, you make inappropriate or deliberately misleading comments about Company-related
issues, or if you expose the Company to legal risks.

Protect Company Intellectual Property: It is not appropriate for an employee to use a logo, design or
stylized trademark or copyrighted material in a personal posting unless the use is expressly
permitted in writing by the Company.

Be Aware of the Rules for Company-Sponsored Media Activities: Communications in social media,
such as marketing activities or Company-sponsored outreach to online communities, must comply
with Saint-Gobain policies and procedures for such business activities. For example, it is not
appropriate for an employee to create a Facebook group or Twitter account related to Saint-Gobain
without the express written permission of the Company. These kinds of online activities are reserved
for use by the appropriate Marketing or Communications function of a business unit.

Respect Company Time and Property: Saint-Gobain computers and time on the job are reserved for
Company-related business as approved by supervisors. Your own business unit may have specific
additional rules in this regard.

Media inquiries: If you receive questions or comments from the press as a result of a social media
posting (whether personal or business use) please refer to Saint-Gobains policy on Handling the
Media, and direct the reporter to the appropriate business unit Communications department or to
Saint-Gobain Corporate Communications in Valley Forge.

Avoid commenting on legal matters: Never post or comment on anything related to legal matters,
litigation or any parties with which the Company may be in litigation.

Avoid anti-Company campaigns: You may come across situations where others, for whatever reason,
are attempting to communicate negative perceptions of Saint-Gobain in social media settings Please
do not disparage or be disloyal to Saint-Gobain. You may elect not to respond at all to those
communications. The Company also encourages you to report any such situations to Saint-Gobain
Corporate Communications in Valley Forge.

Crisis: Never participate in social media when the topic being discussed may be considered a crisis
situation involving the Company. Even anonymous postings can be traced back to your or the
Companys IP address. If you are unsure about posting something or responding to a comment, ask
your supervisor for input or contact the appropriate business unit Communications department or
Saint-Gobain Corporate Communications in Valley Forge.

Use of Social Media in Recruiting: Social media sites offer access to a wide-range of talented
potential employees and can be a useful source for Saint-Gobain recruiters. However, some sites
such as Facebook may provide personal information about an employee prospect such as race,
religion, age, sexual orientation, etc. Due to ethical and legal issues related to privacy, Saint-Gobain
recruiters, or outside recruiters working on behalf of Saint-Gobain, must not conduct a search of this
nature without gaining express permission from the employee prospect. Accessing information of
this nature during the hiring process can subject the Company to claims of discrimination. Please

contact your Human Resources representative should you have any questions about the use of
social media to evaluate candidates.

Recommendations: There are instances in the business world where an employee has written an
employment recommendation for a colleague on a social media site such as LinkedIn, which has
subsequently been used in an employment lawsuit. It is the Companys policy not to release any
information relative to an employees performance or termination with the Company other than the
dates of employment. (See Release of Personnel Information). Only Human Resources, or its
designee, is authorized to release this information. Writing a recommendation for a Saint-Gobain
colleague or employee on a social media site is therefore against Company policy. Please contact
your Human Resources representative for further guidance or if you have any questions about
writing recommendations.

3. BEST PRACTICES

Be Transparent: In some circumstances, it is virtually impossible to establish a credible separation

between statements intended to express a personal opinion and your identity as an employee of
Saint-Gobain. For example, a personal blog by a Saint-Gobain brand manager that promotes the
product he or she manages is highly likely to be viewed as sponsored by the Company. You should
always use common sense and good judgment in making statements that may be perceived by
readers as related to your job or part of your regular job function.

Think twice before posting: Privacy does not exist in the world of social media. Consider what could
happen if a post becomes widely known and how that may reflect on you and the Company, or how
it might affect your relationships with co-workers or supervisors. Search engines can turn up posts
years after they are created, and comments can be forwarded or copied. If you wouldn't say it in
public setting, consider whether you should post it online. Be aware too that information you publish
often cannot be edited or removed. If you are unsure about posting something or responding to a
comment, ask your supervisor for input or contact to the appropriate business unit Communications
department or Saint-Gobain Corporate Communications in Valley Forge.

Strive for accuracy: Get the facts straight before posting them on social media. Review content for
grammatical and spelling errors.

Be respectful: Understand that content contributed to a social media site could encourage
comments or discussion of opposing ideas. Responses should be considered carefully in light of how
they would reflect on the poster.

Keep it brief: Ideally, posts should be brief. When relevant, redirect a visitor to content that resides
on the business unit or Saint-Gobain website/blog.

Keep it in good taste: Posts on social media sites should remain professional in tone and in good
taste.

Create a dialogue: Social media is best when its used to create a two-way dialogue with audiences.
Be creative in seeking ways to post content in a manner that engages audiences and fosters a sense
of community.

Dont Engage in Online Fights: If you see information that misrepresents Saint-Gobain, you may
certainly point out an error; however, always do so with respect, stick to the facts, and identify your
appropriate affiliation with the Company. If you speak about a competitor, you must make sure that
what you say is factual and is not disparaging. Avoid unnecessary or unproductive arguments.

When disagreeing with others, keep it appropriate and polite. If you find yourself in a situation online that
looks as if its becoming antagonistic, do not get overly defensive and do not disengage from the
conversation abruptly: feel free to contact your supervisor, appropriate business unit Communications
department or Saint-Gobain Corporate Communications for guidance/advice.

Be aware of the social implications of friending: Friending is the means by which people connect
on social media sites such as Facebook. Being friends typically offers access to personal
information based on the postings and profile on the site. There are some complexities about the
"relationships" side of social media especially in the realm of supervisor/employee relations. Think
twice before friending a superior or subordinate. A subordinate may feel pressured to accept your
friend request, and conversely a superior may feel hurt if their friend request is denied. This may
create an uncomfortable situation, and it may also, if taken to extremes, be perceived as
harassment. Please refer to the Companys policy on Sexual Harassment as a guide and please
contact your Human Resources representative if you have any questions.

Know your Legal Obligations: You should be aware that statements made in personal postings in
social media may give rise to legal liabilities. For example, you may be held liable for material that is
found to be defamatory or harassing, or to violate rights of privacy or laws related to financial
disclosure. You may also incur legal liability for personal postings that include confidential
information or copyrighted materials of third parties including music, videos, text, etc. Be aware and
adhere to the social media sites terms of use.

By initialing the box below, I certify that I have read the above information, and I agree to the
conditions of hiring.
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