This policy will be reviewed periodically to ensure it remains relevant and effective in the face of evolving technology and community needs.
Last updated: April 2025
The purpose of the CIPD Community is to allow you to exchange ideas, views, advice and resources with other CIPD Members in a secure and supportive environment.
These Guidelines are here to help you understand what it means to be a contributor to the Community. You are reminded that your use of this Community is subject to these Guidelines, the CIPD Website Terms and Conditions and adherence to the CIPD Code of Professional Conduct. Please read these documents including the Disclaimer before participating in the Community.
How to get the most value from the Community:
Do enjoy the diversity
We're a community of many different experiences and competencies of people, who have the right to feel comfortable and who may not think the way that you think or express themselves in the same way.
Do lead by example
Listen before you talk. Before posting, understand the context. We welcome lively, robust, intelligent debate and discussion, but you know there is a line. Don't cross that line. Be patient, civil, respectful and tasteful in your interactions with other Members.
Do spell check
Once you've posted you will be able to go back in to correct typos but you do get a preview screen to check it before you submit.
Do keep it relevant
When you open a new discussion, think carefully about how you choose a title for your thread. We recognise that some topics can be wide-ranging and technical but try to avoid slipping into legalese when describing the finer legal points (although we have nothing against lawyers). When you post a comment, brevity beats long-windedness.
Do be discreet
Most of the forums can only be accessed by CIPD members but it is important you retain professional confidentiality at all times. With sensitive situations, you may need to phrase your comments in such a way that individuals cannot be identified from them. The Workplace Dilemmas: in confidence group allows a CIPD member to ask a question anonymously. The same guidance around confidentially applies.
Do be worldly wise
Take care when using ambiguous language or humour that may inadvertently offend. This Community is an international one, so try to see the world through others' eyes and consider your impact on others when making your contribution.
Do be generous
Offer helpful advice and comment on current practice. Share. When adding attachments to a post, we recommend you state in your message the appropriate document format (e.g. PDF, Word doc) and file size (no bigger than 2 MB).
CIPD cannot vouch for the content of such documents, as we always advise members to consult the resources elsewhere on the CIPD website. The CIPD does not represent or imply that it endorses the material posted by Members within the Community Forum, or that the material is accurate. You are responsible for taking the necessary precautions to protect yourself and your systems from viruses, worms and other harmful content.
Do make recommendations
From time to time, it may be appropriate to share the details of the services provided by companies you trust, provided this is in the context of a direct question. This does not extend to recommending your own services and passing yourself off as an individual.
Do share something about yourself
Keep your profile up to date. Members continually tell us that they like to see brief biographical details about contributors. Upload a head and shoulders photo that is appropriate for a professional community (i.e. no pets!).
Do respect copyright and other intellectual property rights
If you quote a publication, website or other reference please clearly cite your source, and do not quote more than is permitted by normal copyright restrictions.
Do show your gratitude
Much can be gained from returning to the thread you opened to thank those who offered their advice willingly. The Community loves to hear a happy ending (or at least one from which we can all learn), so tell us what happened.
Do network
Many of you already use the private messaging feature (hover over a contributor's name) to network with other CIPD members, and to continue the conversation privately outside of the Community. Please don't abuse this service.
Do manage your subscriptions
Otherwise, you may find your mailbox inundated with email alerts. Keep the number of threads to which you subscribe to a minimum. You can manage your notification settings in your Profile.
Do show us the value
Do remember to tell us when you find a discussion particularly helpful to you personally, or valuable to your employer (this will help us build some compelling evidence for demonstrating just how remarkable CIPD Members really are!).
Things you should avoid
We're all professionals, and you should know that no individual has yet been banned from the Community. However, the CIPD, through the Community moderators, reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to remove content and posts, which do not observe these Guidelines, and/or to prevent persistent abusers from adding further contributions. An individual’s access to the Community will be suspended or terminated for severe or persistent violations.
It is therefore advisable that you:
- Do not provide details that identify individuals or cases, when discussing professional issues.
- Do not make unwarranted criticism, abusive or libellous comments about other people or organisations, commercial or non-commercial.
- Do not include any personal information including contact details (e.g. telephone, membership no. email address, company) within the body of your posting. If you do, we reserve the right to remove it.
- Do not openly advertise your services, or the services of any company or organisation with which you are associated. If in doubt, leave it out (or check with the Community Manager first (s.bridger@cipd.co.uk).
- Do not post any content that may put you or the CIPD in legal jeopardy, such as potentially libellous or defamatory comments, or text or graphics that infringe others’ intellectual property (including copyrights, trademarks, patents, trade secrets) or other proprietary rights.
- Do not publish a post created or substantially influenced by AI without disclosing the fact. See further policy and guidelines below.
- Do not ask your peers to complete your assignment or write your staff handbook on your behalf. Demonstrate that you have put in some effort yourself, and you will be rewarded. See Guidelines for Students
AI-generated Community posts
The following paragraphs outline the rules, guidelines and expectations regarding the posting of content generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the CIPD Community.
Scope
This policy applies to all community members who wish to make contributions that have been generated or significantly aided by AI. It covers text, images, videos, and any other form of AI-generated media that might be shared on our community platforms.
Transparency and disclosure
Any post that has been created or substantially influenced by AI must be clearly disclosed as such at the top of the post. Posters should include a note indicating that AI was used in the creation of the post, to maintain transparency and ensure the community is aware of the origin of the content. Please note that our online Community cannot be used to promote your products. CIPD’s People Management magazine, website, and newsletter provide a flexible range of opportunities to promote your products and services to our members and the wider people profession community. Visit https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/advertise for more details.
Accuracy and accountability
AI-generated content must meet the same standards of accuracy and factual integrity as posts written by community members. Post authors are responsible for verifying the information produced by AI before posting it. Posts our moderators identify as containing misleading or false information will not be tolerated, and authors may be removed from the community at the discretion of the moderators.
Respect for Intellectual Property
Posts containing AI-generated content must comply with copyright laws and respect the intellectual property rights of others. AI should not be used to generate or share plagiarised or copyrighted material without appropriate permissions.
Content quality
AI-generated content should add value to the community and foster meaningful discussions. We know that our online communities are valued by members - demonstrated by the quality of answers our communities provide and the different experiences and perspectives shared. We do not want this richness to be degraded and low-quality posts, spam, or irrelevant content created by AI tools will not be accepted and will be removed.
Ethical considerations
AI-generated content must adhere to the ethical standards of the community. This includes ensuring that posts are free from hate speech, discrimination, harassment, or other forms of harmful content. AI should not be used to manipulate, deceive, or mislead others.
Malicious use
The use of AI to create fake profiles or disseminate harmful, illegal, or malicious content is strictly prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to impersonation.
Sense of Community
AI is no substitute for and should not replace genuine interaction within our online communities, but can - if used appropriately - serve as a tool to enhance and facilitate thoughtful, human-led conversations.
Moderation and enforcement
CIPD moderators reserve the right to remove AI-generated content that violates any part of this policy. Users who repeatedly fail to comply with the policy may face warnings, temporary suspensions, or permanent bans. The decision of moderators is final.
Summary
The use of AI on our online community platforms is allowed provided it is used responsibly, transparently, and ethically. The CIPD strives to host and maintain supportive and trustworthy spaces where all members can participate in constructive and respectful discussions, regardless of whether the content is human- or AI-generated.
In conclusion
The CIPD has crafted these Guidelines to ensure that everyone within the Community has a positive experience. We are committed to demonstrating consistency in the way we moderate contributions, but as we are real people (and not robots) these are Guidelines to allow for nuance, and not hard and fast rules.
As always, let us know if you think of ways that the CIPD can enhance your experience based on your participation in the Community. We believe that we have only scratched the surface of what may be possible together through collaboration. If you have any questions or doubts about any aspect of the Community or feel that any behaviour in the Community is unacceptable for any reason, please seek the advice of the Community Manager: s.bridger@cipd.co.uk
The Legal bit
If you share comments, posts or other material on the CIPD Community Forum, you are entirely responsible for that content and any resulting harm.
By adding or submitting any comments, content or other materials to the CIPD Community Forum you grant CIPD a perpetual, royalty free, irrevocable and unrestricted worldwide licence to publish and reproduce, in any form, the material on this website.
See our full Website Terms and Conditions and the CIPD Privacy Policy.
By contributing to the Community, you agree to receive private messages from other users through the 'Contact' function. The 'Contact' function is a veiled email system which allows other Community users to send you a private electronic message but preserves the confidentiality of your email address. Whilst you consent to receiving messages in this way, you are under no obligation to respond to the message sender (although, of course, we hope that you will most of the time).
Disclaimer
The CIPD endeavours to ensure that the information it provides through its website is accurate and accepts no liability for any errors and omissions, or misuse of copyright or personal information in breach of the above Guidelines. The CIPD does not accept any liability for views, opinions or advice expressed by users contributing to the Community, which are those of the users alone.
You may access other websites via the hypertext links provided by other community members. You use such links and other websites entirely at your own risk. Such websites are provided by independent third parties and CIPD accepts no responsibility for the availability, content or use of such websites nor for any information contained therein. Any references or links to third party websites on the CIPD Community Forum does not imply endorsement by the CIPD.
CIPD reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to modify or replace any part of these Guidelines. Your continued use of the CIPD Community following the posting of any changes constitutes acceptance.