2015_0812_Ethics Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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• Whether the employee states that he or she is acting on behalf of the government • Whether the employee refers to his or her connection to the government as support for the employee's statements; • Whether the employee prominently features his or her agency's name, seal, uniform or similar items on the employee's social media account or in connection with specific social media activities; • Whether the employee refers to his or her government employment, title, or position in areas other than those designated for biographical information; • Whether the employee holds a highly visible position in the Government, such as a senior or political position, or is authorized to speak for the Government as part of the einployee's official duties; • Whether other circumstances would lead a reasonable person to conclude that the government sanctions or endorses the employees' social media activities; or • Whether other circumstances would lead a reasonable person to conclude that the government does not sanction or endorse the employees' social media activities. Ordinarily, an employee is not required to post a disclaimer disavowing government sanction or endorsement on the employee's personal social media account. Where confusion or doubt is likely to arise regarding the personal nature of social media activities, employees are encouraged to include a disclaimer clarifying that their social media communications reflect only their personal views and do not necessarily represent the views of their agency or the United States. A clear and conspicuous disclaimer will usually be sufticient to dispel any confusion that arises. See OGE Legal Advisory LA-14-08. 3. Recommending and Endorsing Others on Social Media Social media networks, particularly those focused on job seeking, sometimes allow users to recommend or endorse the skills of other users. The Standards of Conduct permit employees to use social media to make such recommendations or endorsements in their personal capacity. It is not a misuse of position for einployees to provide such endorsements merely because they have provided their official titles or positions in areas of their personal social media accounts that are designated for biographical information. OGE is aware that at least one social media service automatically adds a user's name, title, and employer to any recommendation that the user posts regarding a job seeker. In any such case where title and employer name are added automatically, OGE does not consider a 3