OGE: Employees must avoid improper endorsements of private organizations on official social channels. Image: Antlii/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffThe Office of Government Ethics has issued guidance on ethical considerations for federal employees involved with official government social media accounts, saying they “have an obligation to act impartially and to not participate in decisions and actions in which they have a disqualifying financial interest.”
A legal advisory says that “involvement in certain official social media activities—such as establishing, operating, and retiring official social media accounts—may raise conflicts of interest and impartiality concerns” for employees who own stock in an affected company. The guidance addresses distinctions such as differences between accounts that require a fee and those provided for free, and considerations for creating or editing content.
Employees further must “prevent unauthorized use of those accounts and avoid improper endorsements of private organizations on such accounts” and must take affirmative steps to “avoid any actions creating the appearance that they are violating the law or the ethical standards,” says the advisory.
For example, it says, “employees may occasionally wish to share information on an official account concerning work that the agency is conducting in concert with external organizations. While engaging in these activities, employees should take into consideration whether the content could reasonably be construed as an endorsement.”
Official social media accounts are government property for purposes of federal employee ethics laws and policies, it adds, and the “duty to protect and conserve government property also extends to preventing unauthorized access and use of official accounts by non-authorized persons.”
“OGE has occasionally received questions about the propriety of allowing former employees to convert an official account to a personal account, or to otherwise maintain or access an official account for non-governmental purposes after they leave government service,” it says. Its response is that agencies should “adopt policies that explicitly prohibit former employees from using the official social media accounts of the agency after their departure.”
OPM Guidance Addresses Pay Issues arising During, After Shutdown
Financial Impact of Shutdown Starts to Hit Home; WH Threatens No Back Pay
Threat of RIFs Hangs Over Federal Workforce as Shutdown Continues
Surge of Retirement Applications Is in the Pipeline, Says OPM
OPM Advises Agencies on Conducting RIFs During Shutdown
Shutdown Stalls Hegseth’s Reforms on Two Fronts as Pentagon Accelerates Cuts
See also,
5 Steps to Protect Your Federal Job During the Shutdown
Over 30K TSP Accounts Have Crossed the Million Mark in 2025
The Best Ages for Federal Employees to Retire
