Employee Manual 2025 - Flipbook - Page 135
f. All requirements stated above apply to any authorized person posting to any social
media site on behalf of the City of Plymouth, including but not limited to
FaceBook, Twitter, and any mobile application developed by the City.
The City encourages employees to be respectful, fair and courteous to fellow employees,
citizens, vendors or people who work on behalf of the City or visit the City. Employees are more
likely to resolve work-related complaints by speaking directly with their co-workers or supervisor
or by utilizing our Open Door Policy than by posting complaints to a social media outlet.
Nevertheless, if an employee decides to exercise their Section 7 rights under National Labor
Relations Act (or the state counterpart) by posting complaints or criticisms, they must do so in a
lawful manner and avoid using statements, photographs, video or audio recordings that
reasonably could be viewed as obscene, intimidating, abusive, demeaning, or threatening, or
that unlawfully defame individuals, or that might constitute unlawful harassment or bullying.
Examples of such impermissible conduct might include offensive posts meant to intentionally and
unlawfully harm someone’s reputation or posts that could contribute to a hostile work
environment on the basis of race, color, national origin, weight, height, sex (including pregnancy
and conditions related to pregnancy), sexual orientation, transgendered status, disability, genetic
information, religion, veteran or marital status, misdemeanor arrest record, or any other status
protected by law or City policy.
The following procedures also apply:
1.
Be truthful and accurate. Employees must always strive to be truthful and accurate
when posting information or news, and any mistakes should be corrected
promptly. Be open about any previous posts you have altered/corrected.
Remember that the internet archives almost everything; therefore, even deleted
postings can be searched. Never post any information or rumors that you know to
be false or in reckless indifference to its truthfulness about the City, fellow
employees, citizens, suppliers, people working on behalf of the City or visitors to
the City.
2.
Do not misuse, share or make any unauthorized post of information that is
proprietary, business secrets or other such confidential information (i.e., confidential
financial data) of the City, its citizens, or fellow employees. Use good ethical judgment
and follow City policies and federal requirements such as the Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996.
3.
Express only your personal opinions. Never represent yourself as a spokesperson for
the City unless you have been authorized as such in advance in writing. If the City is
a subject of the content you are creating, be clear and open about the fact that you
are an employee and make it clear that you are expressing your own views and that
they may not represent those of the City, fellow employees, or citizens of the City If
you do publish a blog or post online about the work you do or subjects associated
with the City, make it clear that you are not speaking on behalf of the City. It is best
to include a disclaimer such as “The postings on this site are my own and do not
necessarily reflect the views of the City” to avoid misunderstanding.
Be transparent. If an employee participates in or maintains a social media site on behalf
of the City (i.e., has been authorized to do so), the role and goals of the page must be
clearly stated. Keep in mind that employees who post with a City username are not
City of Plymouth Employee manual - Page 135 – May 2025
