A. Purpose
The Village of Romeoville recognizes the popularity of Internet social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and wikis. We also recognize the possible value to the individual and our organization of being able to access and share information on such sites and that employees have the right to engage in concerted activities. However, employees' use of social media can compromise confidential and proprietary information, damage the reputations of individuals and organizations, and expose The Village of Romeoville, and employees as individuals, to liability for damages.
To minimize these risks, avoid declines in employee productivity and job performance, and ensure that our IT resources and communications systems are used only for legitimate purposes, the Village of Romeoville expects its employees to adhere to the following guidelines regarding the use of social media.
B. Compliance with Related Policies and Agreements
First and foremost, individuals must recognize that they are individually responsible for everything they post or disseminate on social media, and that postings can be and often are viewed and re-circulated much more widely once they appear on a particular site. This can occur very rapidly, with the result that something intended for a limited audience quickly is shared with a much wider, unintended audience. Also, once an item is on the internet, it may live there forever, despite attempts to retract it.
Therefore, social media should never be used in a way that violates any other Village of Romeoville policies or employee obligations. If your post would violate any of the Village of Romeoville's policies in another forum, it will also be a violation in an online forum. For example, employees are prohibited from using social media to:
• Violate the Village of Romeoville's IT resources and communications systems policies.
• Violate the Village of Romeoville's confidentiality and proprietary rights policies.
• Circumvent the Village of Romeoville's ethics and standards of conduct policies.
• Defame or disparage the Village of Romeoville or its affiliates, constituents, clients, vendors, or other interested parties.
• Harass other employees in any way.
• Circumvent policies prohibiting unlawful discrimination against employees or applicants for employment.
• Violate the Village of Romeoville's privacy policies (for example, to access private password protected sites of co-workers or others without permission).
• Violate any other laws or ethical standards.
Employees who violate the Village of Romeoville's policies in any of these ways, and who are not engaging in concerted activity, may be subject to discipline, up to and including termination of employment.
C. Personal Use of Social Media
Personal use of social media is never permitted on working time or by means of the Village of Romeoville's computers, networks and other IT resources and communications systems.
D. No Expectation of Privacy
Do not use the Village of Romeoville's IT resources and communications systems for any matter that you desire to be kept private or confidential. All contents of the Village of Romeoville's IT resources and communications systems are the property of the Village of Romeoville. Therefore, employees should have no expectation of privacy in any message, files, data, document, facsimile, telephone conversation, social media post, conversation or message, or any other kind of information or communications transmitted to, received or printed from, or stored or recorded on the Village of Romeoville's electronic information and communications systems.
You are expressly advised that to prevent misuse, the Village of Romeoville reserves the right to monitor, intercept and review, without further notice, every employee's activity using our IT resources and communications systems, including but not limited to social media postings and activities, and you consent to such monitoring by your acknowledgment of this policy and your use of such resources and systems. This might include, without limitation, the monitoring, interception, accessing, recording, disclosing, inspecting, reviewing, retrieving, and printing of transactions, messages, communications, postings, logins, recordings and other uses of the systems as well as keystroke capturing and other network monitoring technologies.
The Village of Romeoville may also store copies of such data or communications for a period after they are created and may delete such copies from time to time without notice.
E. Business Use of Social Media
If your job duties involve your speaking on behalf of the Village of Romeoville in a social media environment, you must first obtain, seek approval for, such communication from the Village Manager. Likewise, if you are contacted for comment by or about the Village of Romeoville for publication, including in any social media outlet, direct the inquiry to Village Manager's office and do not respond without written approval.
F. Guidelines for Employees' Responsible Use of Social Media
The above material covers specific rules, policies, and contractual obligations that employees must follow in using social media, whether for personal or business purposes, in consideration of their employment and subject to discipline for violations. The following sections of the policy provide employees with common-sense guidelines and recommendations for using social media responsibly and safely, in the best interests of the Village of Romeoville. These guidelines reflect the "duty of loyalty" every employee owes its employer, and are intended to add to, not limit or replace, the applicable rules, policies and obligations set forth above.
G. Protect Village of Romeoville's Goodwill and Reputation
The Village of Romeoville's policies prohibit employees from making disparaging or defamatory statements about the Village of Romeoville or its activities when speaking as a public employee on matters that are not of a public concern, or concerted activities. Employees must never post comments that are knowingly false about the Village of Romeoville and remember that your statements have the potential to result in liability for yourself or the Village of Romeoville. In addition, you should also avoid social media communications that, although innocent in intent, might be misconstrued or misunderstood to damage our goodwill and reputation. Protecting the Village of Romeoville's goodwill and reputation is every employee's job.
Make it clear in your social media postings that you are speaking on your own behalf. Write in the first person and use your personal e-mail address when communicating via social media. If you disclose your affiliation as an employee of the Village of Romeoville, you should also include a disclaimer that your views do not represent those of your employer. For example, consider such language as "the views in this posting do not represent the views of my employer." Use good judgment about what you post, however, and remember that anything you say can reflect on the Village of Romeoville even if you include such a disclaimer.
If you are uncertain or concerned about the appropriateness of any statement or posting, refrain from making the communication until you discuss it with your Manager.
If you see content in social media that disparages or reflects poorly on you or your department or the Village of Romeoville, do not retaliate or take it on yourself to immediately reply. Instead, consult your Department Manager.
H. Respect Other's Intellectual Property and Confidential Information
The Village of Romeoville policies also restrict employees' use and disclosure of confidential information and intellectual property. Even beyond those mandatory restrictions, however, you must protect proprietary and other confidential information and intellectual property, and refrain from doing anything to jeopardize them, through your use of social media.
To protect yourself and the Village of Romeoville against liability for copyright infringement, include source references for information that you post or upload, and cite the sources accurately. If you have any questions about whether a particular post or upload might violate the copyright or trademark or any person or company, ask the Village of Romeoville's Human Resources department before making the communication.
I. Respect Your Co-workers and Colleagues
Employees must refrain from posting any harassing or discriminatory content or remarks that are barred by law or policy.
Do not post anything that your co-workers or the Village of Romeoville's affiliates, partners, constituents, clients, vendors, or others might find offensive. Never include ethnic jokes or slurs, sexist or other discriminatory comments, or insults or obscenity in anything you post.
Please sign the acknowledgment form which will be given to all employees by their supervisor or Human Resources Manager.
(Ord. 23-1853, passed 5-3-23)