Home Section 7 – Ask yourself
Ask yourself
When you use social media, consider the questions below. They will help you apply the Standards of Conduct and other policies to your activities in the workplace and outside of work.
Questions about impartiality, loyalty, political activity and separating your personal and work interests
Questions about the impact your activities may have on your work and on others in the workplace
Questions about confidentiality, using social media on government equipment or posting images of your work or colleagues
Questions about impartiality, loyalty, political activity and separating your personal and work interests.
- Could my comments on social media be seen as disloyal to the BC Public Service and/or bringing it into disrepute?
- If I comment on a public issue, would I be jeopardizing the perception of impartiality in the performance of my duties?
- If I post this, would I be using my position in government to lend weight to the public expression of my personal opinions?
- Would this activity mean that my political activities in social media are not clearly separated from activities related to my employment?
- Would I be engaging in political activities on social media during working hours or using government facilities, equipment or resources in support of these activities?
- Is there any chance that my actions will be perceived as doing any of the above?
Questions about the impact your activities may have on your work and on others in the workplace
- Is my use of social media during work hours impacting my ability to provide service to the public or to my colleagues, or creating that perception?
- If I post this, would I be failing to treat other employees with respect and dignity?
- Is my conduct in the workplace failing to meet acceptable social standards and contribute to a positive work environment? If you are friends with BC Public Service employees on social media platforms, they may consider that an extension of the workplace.
- Could my interactions with colleagues on social media constitute harassment or discrimination?
- Do my social media affiliations and connections create a potential conflict or reflect negatively on how I wish to be perceived in the workplace?
If a co-worker or supervisor overhears negative comments about themselves or people on the team on social media, what impact may that have?
Questions about sharing confidential information, using social media on government equipment or posting images of your work or colleagues
- Is there any chance that what I’m planning to post would disclose confidential information that I’ve received through my employment to anyone other than persons who are authorized to receive the information? If I share this document, image, or video on social media, would that create an information incident? Always keep confidentiality top of mind.
- Could the apps or material I am downloading put the government network or government information security at risk? The Appropriate Use Policy requires employees to obtain their supervisor’s permission before downloading applications or software to their device. Consult the Software and Application Guide for help.
- Could the settings on my social media accounts on my work equipment put the government network or government information security at risk?
- Is it possible that colleagues would have any concerns about what I’m sharing about them on social media (e.g. their personal opinions or photos)?
- I have access to a colleague’s personal information through social media outside of work (e.g. dating site). If I share that personal information in the workplace, might my colleague have concerns?
If you answer “yes” to any of the questions above, your social media use may be violating the Standards of Conduct, the Appropriate Use Policy, or government’s obligations regarding privacy and information management.
It may also create unwanted consequences for your work environment and the public’s trust and confidence in government.
If you’re unsure about any of these policies and how they apply to social media use, talk with your supervisor or ministry ethics advisor.
Even an innocent photo can accidentally reveal confidential information. Consider whether photos from work include images of documents, screens, or whiteboards could be enlarged to view personal or confidential information.