ECOLAB POLICY

SOCIAL MEDIA PARTICIPATION POLICY

Purpose
This policy establishes global requirements for discussing Ecolab in social media channels. It aims
to safeguard Ecolab’s reputation, build the Ecolab brand by encouraging appropriate outreach via
social media, ensure that online employee interactions associated with our company are ethical
and respectful, and provide guidance in leveraging social media to build, maintain and enhance
relationships with customers, colleagues and other company stakeholders.

Scope
The policy applies to external social media activity by Ecolab employees, contractors, vendors and
others affiliated with Ecolab. This policy encompasses social media sites initiated by Ecolab as well as
those sites initiated by others, including, but not limited to:
Social networking sites, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace, Plaxo, Google+, QZone
(China), Orkut (Brazil), Badoo (EU), Friendster (Asia), hi5 (Mexico), Netlog (Middle East)
and LiveJournal or Vkontakte (Russia);
Microblogging sites, such as Twitter;
Discussion sites, websites for sharing photos and videos, such as Instagram, Pinterest,
Flickr, YouTube and Vimeo;
Social bookmarking and sharing services, such as Digg, del.icio.us and StumbleUpon;
Blogs, forums and comment-enabled platforms, such as on news media websites, trade-
specific communities and tumblr blogs;
Public opinion and review websites, such as ePinions;
Location-based and mobile social platforms such as Foursquare, Yelp, Facebook Places;
Wiki sites that invite users to post content (i.e., Wikipedia); and
Other digital platforms that may facilitate communication with members of the public and
Ecolab stakeholders.

Responsibility
Global Marketing & Communications is responsible for maintaining and enforcing this policy.
Employees are responsible for following the expectations outlined in this policy. Questions
regarding this Social Media Participation policy can be directed to socialmedia@ecolab.com.

Ecolab and Social Media Participation: Our Position

Responsible employee social media participation is encouraged because it can build and strengthen
relationships with customers, employees, communities and stakeholders, increase market
recognition and build our brand.

PART 1: EXPECTATIONS FOR EMPLOYEE

PARTICIPATION IN SOCIAL MEDIA
Ecolab respects your right to engage in online conversations, whether on social media platforms
initiated by us or by others. However, as your employer, Ecolab has an interest in ensuring that
your social media activities do not:
Harm the company’s image or reputation;

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Interfere or damage relationships with customers, colleagues, suppliers, communities,

employees or other stakeholders;
Violate the privacy or confidentiality interests of Ecolab, our employees or customers and
others; or
Violate laws and regulations or otherwise increase risk to our business or to the
businesses of our customers.
Therefore, we expect you to:
Comply with this policy, all laws, the Workplace Respect policy and Ecolab Code of
Conduct (hyperlink), all other Ecolab policies and the rules of any social media outlets to
which you contribute content;
Only speak on behalf of the company if authorized.
Get your work done – do not allow personal social media activity to interfere with your work
commitments; and
Report any violation of this policy to socialmedia@ecolab.com.
Failure to follow this policy could lead to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of
employment with Ecolab, or could create legal risk for you and the company.

Your Responsibility and Privacy

When using social media, be aware that you bear full responsibility for the content you contribute.
You should not expect privacy when you participate in social media activities because few social
media interactions are truly private. Even if later deleted, hidden or erased, you are responsible
for content posted or shared, remembering that others can save it as soon as it is visible.

Dos and Don’ts of Successful Personal Social Media Use

The same values and ethics that guide the everyday actions of Ecolab employees apply in the
digital world as well.

DO
Clearly identify yourself. If you are speaking about Ecolab, identify yourself as an
Ecolab employee but make it clear that you are not officially representing the company.
Clarify that the views expressed are your own, not those of the company (i.e. “I’m not
an official spokesperson but in my opinion…” or “Although I am not an official
spokesperson, I believe…”).
Use common sense and good judgment. Think before you post content to a social
media site. How will your post be received? W hat impact might it have on Ecolab?
How would you feel if your post was reported in the news?
Help build the brand and add value to the discussion. Present Ecolab and its
products in a positive light without being promotional. Listen to others and keep in mind
that participating in social media is about having a productive conversation, not “selling.”
Be transparent and honest. Reveal any conflicts of interest or areas in which you have a
vested interest.
Safeguard privacy, your own and that of others. Avoid disclosing personal
information of others, such as names, email addresses, phone numbers or photos.

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Contribute what you know. If you’re not an expert on the topic being discussed, make
sure you’re honest about your knowledge base. End the conversation or refer them to
someone who is an expert.
If you make a mistake, correct it quickly. And, if you correct a mistake, let the audience
know you fixed it. Don’t change earlier posts without telling readers you have done so.
Respect Others. Treat the views of others with respect, especially if they differ from yours.

Follow the Ecolab Code of Conduct and existing Ecolab policies and procedures.
Ensure social media is the most appropriate way to relay Ecolab-related
information. Consider your audience and be mindful of your message. Internal
conversations should not be communicated through external social media channels.
Follow copyright and fair use laws. Get proper permission before using photos, articles,
music, logos and trademarks, or other materials that were created by Ecolab or by others
affiliated with our company. Brief excerpts of articles that are appropriately referenced
may be used. Social media best practice is to link to the content of others directly or
through social sharing functions such as Like, Share or Retweet.

DO NOT*
Do not disclose proprietary or confidential company information. Only post news or
information that has already been made public. Per Ecolab’s Employee Code of Conduct,
this applies even after you end active employment with Ecolab.
Do not criticize our customers or our customers’ employees in any way.
Do not comment outside your area of expertise. If you are unsure of the appropriate
response, you should not comment. Instead, contact Global Marketing & Communications
at socialmedia@ecolab.com or the relevant Ecolab business unit.
Do not post private or personal information or images of coworkers, customers,
suppliers or business partners without prior written approval.
Do not comment on, compare or disparage the products or services offered by
Ecolab competitors, vendors or others in our industries.
Do not comment or speculate on Ecolab’s financial performance or provide
operational, sales, pricing or growth information.
If you are unsure about posting company or customer information, don’t post it.
Seek proper clarification from Global Marketing & Communications.
Do not use Ecolab logos or customer logos without prior written approval. You may
acknowledge on social media sites that you “work at Ecolab,” but you must obtain prior
written approval from Global Marketing & Communications to use Ecolab logos and
trademarks on social media sites, including your personal sites such as Facebook, Twitter
or LinkedIn.
Do not respond to requests for additional information if the requestor is:
o A member of the news media or a blogger. Instead, contact Global
Communications at mediarelations@ecolab.com.
o A prospective customer. Instead, refer the request to the appropriate Ecolab
business unit. If you are unsure of the appropriate business unit, contact Global
Marketing & Communications at socialmedia@ecolab.com.

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o A potential supplier or business partner. Refer the request to the appropriate

Ecolab business unit. If you are unsure of the appropriate business unit, contact
Global Marketing & Communications at socialmedia@ecolab.com.
Do not use your Ecolab email address for personal social media conversations.

* U.S.-based employees: our policies are not intended to prohibit communications protected
under Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act.

Who owns the content you contribute?

If you contribute content to Ecolab-initiated social media platforms, Ecolab is the “owner” of the
content. Depending on the rules of other social media outlets to which you contribute, you may or
may not own the content you post. Be aware that Ecolab monitors for company-related content on
social media sites and, in doing so, will identify any inappropriate content submitted by employees.
We retain the right to remove content contributed to our sites for any reason.

PART 2: ECOLAB-AUTHORIZED SOCIAL MEDIA

ENGAGEMENT
Ecolab initiates and authorizes the use of social media platforms for the purpose of reaching
and interacting with customers, prospects, communities, current and potential employees,
and other stakeholders. Individual employees may not establish an Ecolab social media
platform unless approved by Global Marketing & Communications. For questions or to submit
a request for an authorized social presence, contact Global Marketing & Communications at
socialmedia@ecolab.com.

Business-Related Social Media Activities

Ecolab businesses or functions may not hire or otherwise compensate others to blog about,
comment on, review, promote, share, or otherwise engage in social media activities that discuss
Ecolab companies, employees, products and services, competitors or other company-related
topics. If you have questions concerning business-related social media activities, please contact
socialmedia@ecolab.com.

Authorized Contributors
Global Marketing & Communications and the business unit or function will identify and train
select employees to serve as authorized contributors on approved Ecolab sites.

If you have questions concerning any portion of this policy or wish to report a concern
please contact socialmedia@ecolab.com

Version # Date Description Revised by

Initial 04/15/2013 Social Media Participation Policy Roman Blahoski
Release

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