FAQs

About Workplace

What is Workplace by Facebook?

Workplace is a dedicated and secure space for companies to connect, communicate and collaborate. Organizations of all sizes can use familiar Facebook features such as News Feed, groups, messages and events to get things done.

What features are available in Workplace that can replace some of our existing workplace tools?

• Companies find that they can eliminate or drastically reduce their need for internal collaboration tools such as their intranet, telephony systems, video conferencing and distribution lists.
• Workplace does more than just simplify communications - it inspires all levels of the company to embrace digital and mobile, and adopt a culture of speed and transparency.
• In addition, Workplace is easy to use because it's based on familiar Facebook features like News Feed, groups and messages. There's no training required.

How many companies are using Workplace?

• We have 14,000 companies around the globe using Workplace.;
• These companies span multiple industries - retail, technology, telecommunications, financial services, media, entertainment, food & beverage, transportation, real estate, utilities, shipping and government.

I would like to try Workplace.

You can sign up at facebook.com/workplace.

Do you have to create a personal Facebook account when you use Workplace?

• No, Workplace is a completely separate product from personal Facebook.
• You don't need a personal Facebook account to sign up for Workplace and there are separate websites and apps for both.

How is this different from my personal Facebook account?

Workplace is a separate account that you use to collaborate with coworkers. Rather than having friends as your audience, you create and join groups with your coworkers to be a part of relevant conversations.

How much does this cost?

The pricing model is based on a monthly fee per active user. We are also introducing a new, Workplace Standard plan that is free of charge. Please see the details at facebook.com/workplace/pricing.

Why should my company pay for Workplace Premium when some of the features are available on Facebook and Workplace Standard?

Enterprises have specific requirements for tools in the workplace. Enterprise features such as single sign-on (SSO), secure identity management, enterprise support and analytics are included in Workplace Premium. The company retains ownership of the data their employees post in Workplace, and have mechanisms to export that information and manage its community in ways that are not available on Facebook or Workplace Standard.

What is the difference between the free and paying (Standard and Premium) plans?

• Product features: Feature-wise, Workplace Standard has all of the features you can expect from Workplace such as News Feed, groups, chat, live video, etc. Workplace Premium also has administrative features such as analytics, a Company Dashboard, and integration with identity providers. Premium customers have access to integration APIs for bots, account management, e-discovery and policy enforcement. These integrations can be custom built or enabled through our partner ecosystem.
• Content: For Workplace Premium, content is reviewed by admins. For Workplace Standard, Facebook's community standards apply.
• Workplace Premium is the paid product we launched to the public in October of 2016, and many organizations have been using it. Workplace Standard is being introduced as an additional free plan.
• For more details, review the chart at facebook.com/workplace/pricing.

Is the information from my personal account visible in my Workplace account?

• No, your personal updates will not be included in Workplace, and nothing you share in your Workplace experience will show up in your personal Facebook experience.
• However, there is no change to content posted publicly in your personal Facebook account; publicly posted content is viewable by anyone, including people using Workplace.

Can my employer see my personal account?

No, your employer will not be able to access your personal account. Of course, if you post content publicly to your personal account, it is visible to anyone.

Who owns the information that employees create?

In Workplace Standard, you own the content you post and share, although Facebook's community standards apply. You have the option to delete or deactivate your account at any time. If you are using Workplace Premium, then your company owns and administers your Workplace community and data.

What happens when an employee leaves the company?

If you are using Workplace Standard, you have the option to delete or deactivate your account at any time. If you are using Workplace Premium, then your company has continued access to the employee's Workplace account.

How do I delete my account?

If you are using Workplace Standard, you have the option to delete or deactivate your account at any time. For help, visit the help center. If you are using Workplace Premium, then your company has continued access to the employee's Workplace account.

How does the new free trial period work for Workplace Premium?

Any organization that is a Workplace Premium customer before July 1, 2017 will have a free trial period until September 30, 2017. Customers who sign up on July 1 or later will enjoy a 90-day free trial period.

Why is the free trial period being extended?

Our early adopter customers are on a journey with us, helping us to build the best product. We want you to have the opportunity to enjoy using Workplace Premium at no cost for a longer time period. At Facebook, our first priority is always building products that people love to use.

When will you start charging Workplace Premium customers?

Billing will start on October 1, 2017, with the first bill issued November 1, 2017.

What if we started using Workplace Premium in January of 2017?

Your free trial period will be extended to September 30, 2017.

What if we started using Workplace Premium in 2016?

Your free trial period will be extended to September 30, 2017.

What if we start using Workplace Premium on July 20, 2017?

Customers that sign up on or after July 1, 2017 will enjoy a 90-day free trial period.

When will we know that billing will start?

We will notify all admins at least one month in advance of billing, and request your credit card or billing details.

We would like to cancel our account because billing will be starting soon.

We appreciate that you have been one of our early adopter customers. We are happy to extend the free trial period until September 30, 2017.

I still have questions.

Please contact your regular support channel.

Privacy / Data

Are there ads in Workplace?

There are no ads in Workplace.

My organization is subject to EU data processing requirements. Can I use Workplace?

Yes. For customers using Workplace Premium we provide specific provisions to help them address EU data protection requirements. Most notably, Facebook is certified under the EU-US Privacy Shield Framework, which helps companies comply with EU data transfer requirements as part of their use of Workplace. More information about Facebook's participation in the Privacy Shield Framework can be found here.

Is there a risk that that someone might share something from their personal Facebook account to their Workplace account? Or alternatively, can someone accidentally share confidential work information from their Workplace account on their personal Facebook profile?

Posts made in a personal account are not visible in the Workplace account, and vice versa. Workplace and Facebook are different products and this distinction is supported by clear design so you can easily identify whether you are in your work account or your personal account. You don't even need a personal Facebook account to sign up for Workplace.

Who owns and controls the information my organization's employees create?

For Workplace Premium customers, the data you and your employees put into Workplace belongs to your organization and you control it. You and your administrators can modify, delete, or export it at any time via an administrative API (documentation found here).

If you are using Workplace Standard, Facebook is the data controller but employees own the content they post and share, and Facebook's community standards apply. Employees have the option to delete or deactivate their account at any time.

What happens when an employee leaves a company?

If you are using Workplace Standard, employees have the option to delete or deactivate their account at any time. If you are using Workplace Premium, then your company has continued access to the employee's Workplace account.

Do you have to create a personal Facebook account when you use Workplace?

No, Workplace is a different product from personal Facebook. You don't need a personal Facebook account to sign up for Workplace and there are separate websites and apps for both.

Where are your data centers located?

We currently have data centers in Europe and the US.

Security

How does Workplace keep my information secure?

Ensuring the security of information on Facebook is at the core of how we build products and operate our company. Security is built into every Facebook product, including Workplace. From transport layer protocols to machine learning for threat detection, Facebook's network is protected by a combination of advanced automated systems, best in class encryption standards, and dedicated security teams.

The security of our service is regularly evaluated and tested by our own internal security experts and independent third parties including full source code reviews and penetration tests. We happily share these reports and results with Workplace Premium customers upon request.

We also know that enterprises need visibility and control over services that connect to their own networks. That's why we give Workplace Premium customers the ability to manage the security settings and policies for your Workplace community. Premium customers can use APIs to monitor activity for policy enforcement and receive alerts. If you would prefer to use a third-party e-discovery and compliance tool, we offer integrations with several industry-leading providers.

Physical access to Facebook data centers and offices is restricted to authorized individuals. We own or directly lease all of our facilities so we have end-to-end control over the grounds, the buildings, the servers, the operations, and maintenance for each center.

Do you have enterprise-grade security?

Yes. Security is built into every Facebook product, including Workplace. We have hundreds of dedicated security staff, and robust third party audited frameworks and processes that are designed with the sole purpose of keeping your data secure. Our unique position on the internet gives us visibility into the latest emerging threats, and provides us the ability to block attacks against your Workplace instance in real time. Additionally, Workplace Premium has been designed to integrate into your company's existing identity management and access systems, giving you full control over access to your data, using open standards that are common to most enterprise software vendors.

How does Workplace respond to government or law enforcement requests for information and data about my company or employees?

For Workplace Premium customers, unless legally prohibited, Facebook will direct law enforcement requests to you so you can decide whether to produce the requested information or oppose the request.

Are you SOC certified?

Yes, for Workplace Premium customers, we are SOC 2 certified. For customers using Workplace Premium, please refer to Ernst & Young's independent report here.

What SLAs does Workplace provide?

Workplace Premium customers have access to 1:1 email support: 5 days a week/12 hours a day. Response Time: Within 48 hours

Where can I get more information?

• Security white paper