Federal Employees and Social Media Guidelines

Recently, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) filed a lawsuit in response to the guidelines that prevent federal employees from engaging in partisan political activity on social media.

Federal employees are not prohibited from using social media. However, their social media activities must comply with the Federal Government Standards of Conduct and any other agency-specific policies.

Political Activity and Social Media

The Hatch Act restricts a federal employee from participation in certain partisan political activities, which includes some social media activities. The Office of Special Counsel (OSC) has specific social media guidelines for federal employees that clearly explain when it is and isn’t acceptable for federal employees to engage in political activity on social media. The guidelines state that, in order to comply with the Hatch Act, employees are prohibited from doing the following on social media:

1. On Duty or in the Workplace Prohibition – Employees may not engage in any political activity while on duty or in the federal workplace.

2. 24/7 Prohibition – Employees may not knowingly solicit, accept, or receive a political contribution for a political party, a candidate in a partisan race, or partisan political group.

3. 24/7 Prohibition – Employees may not use their official authority or influence to affect the outcome of an election.

Personal statements can be mistaken as an official stance of a government agency policy or position. When an employee posts on their own personal social media account, they must be careful to ensure that their account does not reflect the opinion of a government agency.

Wrongful Termination due to Social Media Use

Social media use can be cause for termination if you do not follow the guidelines. However, if you feel that you have been wrongfully terminated because of something you posted on your social media accounts, don’t hesitate to contact our Washington D.C. attorney John P. Mahoney, Esq.today.

Call The Law Firm of John P. Mahoney, Esq., Attorneys at Law, PLLC at (202) 350-3881 if you have been wrongfully terminated due to your social media use.