New Jersey Division of Pensions & Benefits

The New Jersey Division of Pensions & Benefits (NJDPB) administers one of the largest non-federal public benefits program in the nation, consisting of 10 separate retirement systems, three supplemental retirement saving programs, two health benefits programs for employees, retirees and family members, and several other employee benefits programs. There are 410,630 active members and 301,950 retirees and beneficiaries that enjoy the benefits of the various pension systems administered by the Division, and 888,523 covered lives in the State Health Benefits Program (SHBP) and the School Employees’ Health Benefits Program (SEHBP).

The NJDPB’s social media presence offers a way for our members, retirees, and others to stay updated on NJDPB information and participate in a productive dialogue that can benefit participants and the Division alike.

The NJDPB’s Facebook page is created for the limited purpose of general discussion regarding the NJDPB pension plans, health benefit programs, and the NJDPB administration and operations. This site is not created nor intended to be a general public forum, or to discuss individual member or annuitant-specific information.

The page is also not meant to replace NJDPB’s traditional methods of communication including the NJDPB website, which remains the primary official source of information regarding the NJDPB. The Facebook page simply provides a new way in which to engage with our active and retired members, beneficiaries, and others who have an interest in the NJDPB.

The NJDPB asks that users carefully review our usage guidelines below. They are designed to encourage a productive dialogue and also contain important suggestions regarding privacy and what can be done to help protect personal information.

Privacy

The NJDPB will post only public information on our social media sites. If our communications involve or require private information, the NJDPB will direct users to other appropriate (private) channels. Questions regarding specific benefits or accounts should not be posted to our social media sites. Instead, users are welcome to call the NJDPB Office of Client Services at (609) 292-7524 to speak with a representative or to e-mail questions to: http://www.state.nj.us/treasury/pensions

For purposes of these guidelines, “private” or “personal” information means any information that is confidential by law or personally identifiable information that may lead to the identification of a particular person. Personally identifiable information, such as Social Security or phone numbers, should not be posted. Individuals who enter personal information on social media sites do so at their own risk.

When using any social media platform, the public should exercise further caution by carefully reviewing personal social media privacy settings. Users should never open unfamiliar hyperlinks or applications. Doing so could result in a malware download such as a virus.

The NJDPB is not responsible for any private information posted by social media users. The NJDPB may remove postings that contain private information, but neither the NJDPB nor its licensors or contractors are responsible for any damages caused by delays in such removal.

Public Information and Records Retention

The NJDPB’s social media presence may contain communications sent to or received by State employees. Therefore, such communications may be public records subject to open records requests. For more information on open records, please refer to the Public Information Act and Policy: http://www.state.nj.us/opra/

Social media public records are subject to State records retention requirements. These retention requirements apply regardless of the form of the record (digital text, photos, audio, or video, etc.). The NJDPB shall retain social media content in order to meet our records retention obligations.

Content and Commenting Guidelines

The NJDBP is not responsible for any online information about its programs, benefits, representatives, vendors, customers, etc., that is not posted by an authorized NJDPB representative. Information on NJDPB social media sites is made available for independent use and is not intended to provide specific benefit, insurance, retirement, or investment advice. We do not guarantee its applicability for accuracy with regard to individual circumstances. The NJDPB assumes no liability for damages incurred directly or indirectly as a result of errors, omissions, or discrepancies.

The information contained on NJDPB social media sites are for informational and discussion purposes only. It does not amend or overrule any applicable statute or administrative rule, or any decision rendered by our rule put in place by the NJDPB or the Boards of Trustees. Furthermore, any comments or opinions by staff members of the public are theirs alone and do not represent the opinion of the NJDPB, its staff, or the Boards of Trustees.

Users are requested to follow our posting guidelines. The NJDPB may delete content that is not related to the purpose of the social media presence. Other non-permissible content includes, but is not limited to, comments, URLs and hyperlinks that:

• Are off-subject or out of context;
• Are threatening, harassing, defamatory, or discriminatory;
• Contain obscenity;
• Contain confidential or sensitive NJDPB information or confidential member information;
• Contain Protected Health Information;
• Contain information that could reasonably be construed to compromise public safety;
• Incite or promote violence or illegal activities;
• Advertise or promote a commercial product, service, entity, or individual;
• Contain a copyright infringing material;
• Promote or endorse political campaigns or candidates; or
• Are otherwise illegal or violate NJDPB policy

In addition to deleting non-permissible content, the NJDPB reserves the right to permanently ban those who post non-permissible content. Users may be banned immediately or warned prior to banning, depending on the content and/or number of violations.

Linking

The NJDPB may link to third party social media sites. Users using these links will leave the NJDPB website and will be redirected to the selected site located on another server. By providing convenient links to social media websites, the NJDPB does not imply endorsement of a site’s sponsor, nor does the NJDPB imply endorsement of any product, service, or activity offered on the websites or by any advertiser on the sites. The NJDPB is not responsible for the content provided by a third party site or by an advertised sponsor.

The NJDPB respects the rights of all copyright holders and will remove or disable access to infringing material. Under appropriate circumstances, users, account holders, subscribers (including employees), who repeatedly infringe the rights of copyright holders, will be terminated from network participation or use of the NJDPB website.

The NJDPB accommodates and does not interfere with standard technical measures.

A person who believes that a work has been copied or used in a way that constitutes copyright infringement may provide the NJDPB notice with the following information required by the Online Copyright Infringement Liability Limitation Act of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (17 U.S.C. § 512, et seq.):

• A physical or electronic signature of a person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of the copyright;
• Identification of the copyrighted work or, if multiple copyrighted works at a single online site are covered by a single notification, a representative list of such works at that site;
• Identification of the infringing material or the subject of infringing activity that should be removed or access to be disabled;
• Information sufficient to permit location of the material;
• Information sufficient to permit the NJDPB to contact the party providing notification;
• A statement that the complaining party has a good-faith belief that the use of the material is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law; and
• A statement that the information in the notification is accurate, and under penalty of perjury, that the complaining party is authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed.

Third Party Terms of Service

In addition to Facebook, the NJDPB has a presence on Twitter and YouTube. These are third-party sites that have terms of service that are not governed by the NJDPB or the State of New Jersey. They are not official NJDPB websites and, therefore, have their own terms of service and policies. The Division encourages users to review them.

Response Time

Although we realize that social media is a 24/7 communication channel, the NJDPB will post content and review comments on its social media presence during regular business hours (Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and periodically during non-business hours. Comments that are posted after hours and on weekends will be reviewed as early as possible; this may mean the next business day.