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Best practices for public servants using their personal social media

Best practices for public servants using their personal social media

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Considerations when using social media

Social media offers many different opportunities and challenges, but if you work for the Government of Canada (GC), you need to be extra aware of what you post online.

The following are key takeaways from the Guidance for Public Servants on their Personal Use of Social Media. The purpose of the guidance is to help you safely navigate the social media landscape and make informed choices about how you interact with it.

   
Follow the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector

What we say online, even outside of work and working hours, can affect how people view the GC. To help keep public trust and credibility, start by following the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector. This applies even if you don’t identify yourself as a public servant on your social media because others may know you’re employed by the GC or can easily find out.

Be mindful of your role

If you have a visible or more senior role in the public service, remember that your posts might carry more weight, visibility and scrutiny.

Your personal posts must not look like you’re posting in an official GC capacity

If you post to your personal social media account and refer to your position as a public servant, make it clear that you’re not posting in an official capacity (unless you’ve been authorized to do so).

Examples of appropriate posts in a professional context include:

  • posting your resume, GC employment history and information on a professional networking site, and networking with other public servants online
  • sharing information about a conference you attended
  • following social media channels to stay current on professional trends

Adding a disclaimer that your views are your own can help, but it may not protect you because people might still think that your posts represent the government.

You can help make sure your personal accounts aren’t mistaken for official ones by avoiding official symbols or GC email addresses, or naming conventions that look official.

Balance personal and professional values

Impartiality helps to ensure that all Canadians get fair treatment, no matter their political views. This stability is important because governments change, but public servants continue to support them. The knowledge and experience of the public service is essential for our democracy.

Keep posts about your work factual

Stick to the facts when posting about your work and only post publicly available information. Make sure any work-related content you post is appropriate and if your post is specifically about your current work, make sure it is authorized.

If you need to vent or work through some frustrations, use trusted internal resources like your organization’s Employee Assistance Program, Ombuds or Informal conflict management system for support.

Review your online history

Review your social media presence regularly, especially when you join the public service, change roles, or get promoted. If you’re concerned about previous or historical online posts, seek guidance from your manager or your organizational values and ethics office.

Ensure your social media activity doesn’t create a conflict of interest

If you have another job or activities outside of the public service, if you own your own business, or if you’re a blogger or social media influencer, you need to be mindful that activity doesn’t create a real, apparent or potential conflict of interest with your role as a public servant.

Questions to ask yourself before posting

  • How could others perceive the post? If others could interpret the post as criticism of your employer or of the government, ask for guidance before posting.
  • What is the content of the post? If the content is related to your work, the work of your current organization, the work of other organizations and the work of the Government of Canada as a whole, or if it could be seen as an official GC position, it might not be appropriate to post.
  • Could it affect your reputation, or that of your organization? Online content is hard to completely erase.
  • Will it affect your work environment? Avoid posts that could harm workplace relations or be interpreted as critical of your colleagues.
  • How could your post or interaction be interpreted in the current environment? Be non-partisan with your online activities. Being politically neutral helps keep the public’s confidence.
  • If a stakeholder or partner saw your post, how would they interpret it? Before posting or reacting to a post, consider if it might harm the perception of your judgment or integrity.
  • Is the source reliable? Share content from trusted sources to avoid spreading misinformation.
  • Are you using hashtags or phrases? Research them to avoid unintended associations.

Upholding human rights and workplace inclusion

Public servants should respect the Canadian Human Rights Act and work towards an inclusive workplace.

Here are some tips:

  • Balance values: Think carefully about how you engage on social media.
  • Seek guidance: If you’re unsure, talk to your manager or the Values and Ethics office.
  • Report harassment: Report any harassment or discrimination to your manager and use your organization’s support resources.

Assessing the level of risk before posting

Appropriate

  • networking
  • sharing job opportunities
  • sharing information not related to your work

Risky

  • creating, sharing or liking posts criticizing decisions of your organization
  • commenting about our own or another jurisdiction’s government or leaders
  • engaging with partisan content

Inappropriate

  • bullying/harassment, discrimination
  • sharing false information
  • engaging in political activities during work hours

Social media scenarios

These scenarios are related to personal use of social media and have questions designed to help you apply the guidelines.

Duty of loyalty

You notice a conversation thread that criticizes a work policy. There are a lot of comments, many of which are negative. You want to contribute to the conversation.

Questions to ask yourself

  • Does my post criticize my department or the GC?
  • Am I adding to the conversation in a civil and neutral way?
  • Would I feel uncomfortable about what I posted?
  • Could my comment reflect poorly on the reputation of my work group?
  • Could liking or interacting with this post diminish the public’s trust or confidence in my organization?

Employer policies and reputation

You want to post your opinion about a controversial topic related to a GC employment-related policy. How do you balance your personal views with your professional responsibilities?

Questions to ask yourself

  • Is what I’m posting about related to the GC or my job?
  • Could the post or topic be considered offensive or inappropriate?
  • Is there someone at work I could speak with to help me address my issues with the employer’s policy?
  • If I wait before posting, will I still feel strongly about posting later?

Posting during an election period

During an election period, you want to “like” a political campaign’s post. Since you’re not adding a comment, you think that’s ok, but you aren’t certain.

Questions to ask yourself

Monetizing social media

You have a personal social media account with a large following and you’re offered a sponsorship to promote a product. Do you accept the offer?

Questions to ask yourself

  • Does the product or company have any connection to my GC job? Have I filled out a conflict-of-interest declaration form and received guidance?
  • Would I be promoting something that could be perceived as unethical? Does the company have ties to other businesses that could be controversial?
  • Could this endorsement damage the reputation of the GC, or be seen as an endorsement by the GC?

Digital Legacy

You find your old posts from many years ago. Some of them are partisan opinions. Knowing that internet content is never truly deleted, do you remove your old posts?

Questions to ask yourself

  • Were these posts written while I was a public servant?
  • Could these posts affect my reputation or the reputation of my organization?

Where to find guidance and support

If you’re unsure about something, talk to your manager, your organization’s Values and Ethics office, or your designated senior official for conflict of interest. Managers should help employees evaluate risks thoughtfully.

Guidance and support:

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