2015_0812_Ethics Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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accounts while on duty. The Standards of Conduct also require employees to protect and conserve government property and to use government property only to perform official duties, unless they are authorized to use government property for other purposes. See 5 C.F.R. § 2635.704. For example, under the Standards of Conduct, a supervisor may not order, or even ask, a subordinate to work on the supervisor's personal social media account. Coercing or inducing a subordinate to maintain the supervisor's personal account would amount to a misuse of position and, if done on official time, a misuse of official tilne. The same would be true if the supeivisor were to have a subordinate create content for the supervisor's personal account, even if the subordinate were not involved in uploadiilg the content to that account. 5 C.F.R. §§ z63s.�o2�a�, 263s.�os��. Where agencies have established policies permitting limited personal use of government resources by their employees, those policies control what constitutes an authorized use of government resources. See, e.g. OGE Informal Advisory Opinion 97 x 3. In some cases, such "limited use" policies may authorize employees to access their personal social media accounts while on duty. 2. Reference to Government Title or Position & Appearance of Official Sanction A question that frequently arises is the extent to which employees may reference their official titles on their personal social media accounts. In general, the Standards of Conduct prohibit employees from using their official titles, positions, or any authority associated with theu public offices for private gain. 5 C.F.R. § 2635.702. The Standards of Conduct also require that employees avoid using their titles or positions in any manner that would create an appearance that the Government sanctions or endorses their activities or those of another. 5 C.F.R. §§ 2635.702; 2635.807(b).� Employees' use of personal social media ordinarily will not create the impermissible appearance of governmental sanction or endorsement which would be prohibited under § 2635.702(b). An employee does not, for example, create the appearance of government sanction merely by identifying his or her ofiicial title or position in an area of the personal social media account designated for biographical information. See e.g. OGE Legal Advisory LA-14-08; OGE Informal Advisory Opinion 10 x 1. In evaluating whether a reference to an employee's official title or position on social media violates the Standards of Conduct, the agency ethics official must consider the totality of the circumstances to determine whether a reasonable person with knowledge of the relevant facts would conclude that the government sanctions or endorses the communication. See, e.g. 5 C.F.R. §§ 2635.702(b); 2635.807(b); OGE Legal Advisory LA-14-08; OGE Informal Advisory Opinion 10 x 1. Relevant factors for agency ethics officials to consider in making the determination include: � Agency suppleinental regulations may place further limitations on employees' use of title or position, or may impose additional requirements such as mandating the use of a disclaimer. 2