![]()
Social media is everywhere. But there is actually one place you can—and should—get away from social media: the federal workplace.
While work is not the place for social media, social media also is certainly not the place for work. That means the posting of work-related content on your Facebook page, Twitter feed or other social media account comes with inherent risk and may even be a violation of agency policy.
Here are some do's and don'ts for avoiding unwanted workplace problems.
Best Practices
• Do pause before you post. Understand that when it comes to the Internet, almost nothing is private. What goes online, stays online, often indefinitely.
• Do present yourself in a professional manner at all times, even when engaged in social media activities for personal reasons.
• Do monitor your social media pages and security settings regularly. Material posted by others can reflect poorly on you. On Facebook, you can approve certain items posted about you.
• Do build a rapport with someone before adding them as a “friend” to your social media site.
• Do separate fact from opinion. Be sure your audience knows the difference.
• Do friend NTEU! Join us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to get news, photos, calls to action and links to videos.
What Not To Do
• Don’t access social media sites for personal use while on duty or using agency equipment or unless you are certain that your employer’s limited personal use policy allows it.
• Don’t expect privacy in your electronic work systems, emails or mobile devices.
• Don’t mix your personal online activity with your professional activity.
• Don’t publish internal agency business or confidential and proprietary information.
• Don’t disclose private facts about someone else without their permission. Libel and privacy laws apply to online activity.
• Don’t post pictures of yourself, or your colleagues, while wearing federal uniforms unless you are confident that there is nothing on the page that would bring you, and by extension, the agency, into disrepute.
• Don’t post pictures of your work space, or confiscated contraband, online or tag colleagues in unflattering pictures.
• Don’t use profanity, ethnic or racial slurs or otherwise obscene language.