Nova Scotia government employees use the internet in the course of their work as well as during their private time. Social media – blogs, public wikis and social networking sites such as Facebook – provide useful means for civil servants to use in communicating with each other, with community partners and with citizens.

The following guidelines are meant to assist government employees in making appropriate, trouble-free use of social media at home and at work.

What is social media?

Social media refers to online technologies and practices that are used to share information and opinions, host conversation and build relationships. It can involve a variety of formats, including text, pictures, video, audio and “live,” real-time dialogues of a few, or thousands of participants.

Examples of social media include discussion forums, blogs, social networks, wikis, podcasts, Google Wave and vlogs.

Benefits of social media

Social media can help government to better understand, respond to and attract the attention of specific audiences. It enables interactive communication – the exchange of information, perspective and opinion – among multiple audiences, effectively, efficiently, and in places where those conversations are already taking place. Social media can:

• increase government’s access to audiences and improve the accessibility of government communication and engagement efforts;
• enable government to be more active in its relationships with citizens, partners and stakeholders;
• offer greater scope to adjust or refocus communications quickly, when necessary;
• enhance the credibility of government initiatives or proposals through non-government channels;
• increase the speed of public feedback and input;
• reach specific audiences on specific issues; and
• reduce government’s dependence on traditional media channels and counter inaccurate press coverage.

Official use of Social Media

Government can make use of social media in two ways:

• by contributing to existing platforms operated by outside organizations or individuals, or
• by setting up its own discussion forums or other online communication platforms. These may be ongoing or may be established for a specific time-limited proposal or initiative. They may be open to the public or access may be confined to a particular group of stakeholders.

When considering launching a social media initiative, managers and employees should be clear about the purpose and the resource implications that maintaining and monitoring the effort will entail.

Guiding Principles for Civil Servants’ Use of Social Media

Government’s Code of Conduct, Conflict of Interest, Respectful Workplace and Privacy policies (http://www.gov.ns.ca/psc/v2/about/overview/publicationsPolicies) apply to on-line communication as fully as they do to activities in any other circumstance or venue.

Professionalism

Social media is chatty and informal so, by all means, be chatty and informal online. But if you’re participating as a government employee, don’t compromise on professionalism. Employees who engage in social media must:

• maintain a respectful, constructive tone
• stick to the facts and refrain from debates over matters of strict opinion
• never launch personal attacks or make defamatory or offensive (racist, sexist, lewd etc.) statements
• refrain from making partisan, political comments while speaking as a government employee;
• not criticize policies of the government
• maintain the integrity and values of Nova Scotia's Government employees.

In other words, use common sense.

Confidentiality

This is covered in the Code of Conduct, (http://www.gov.ns.ca/psc/v2/about/overview/publicationsPolicies/codeofconduct/) but it’s worth special mention here. Many of us are privy to confidential and sometimes sensitive information in our work. It is every bit as important to protect confidential information when posting comments online as anywhere else. If you wouldn’t say it to a reporter, don’t say it in a blog or discussion thread.

Authorization

Before granting an interview to a reporter or agreeing to appear on the evening television news, you are required to make contact with your Communications director or advisor to discuss the request. The same drill applies to online communications. If you are thinking about posting to a social media site on a work-related matter, have a chat with Communications staff first. The public is not well served if different sources within government are saying different things.

Any work-related, external social media initiative must be approved by the employee's immediate supervisor and the director of communications, (who is responsible for ensuring appropriate corporate and senior management awareness and agreement with the initiative).

Self-identification

If you want to speak or write online about something connected with your job or the work of your department – even something so simple as to correct a mistake made by someone else – you should identify yourself as a government employee. This applies whether you’re posting from your desk during office hours or from your cell phone on the weekend. Doing so will probably add a little more weight to what you say in your post; more importantly, though, it will prevent situations from developing where you, or the province, could be accused of covertly attempting to influence free discussion.

Personal Use of Social Media During Work Hours

Some government employees have legitimate, business-related reasons to make use of social media in the course of doing their jobs; others do not. It’s not a good idea for anybody to be regularly updating their Facebook status, or otherwise spending significant amounts of time with social activity when they’re on the job. Everybody in their network knows what they’re doing. Or not doing. Use the same common sense with the social part of social media activity that you would with coffee breaks

Personal Use of Social Media Outside of Work Hours

All Employees

As a citizen, as well as an employee, you can, of course, use social media in all the same ways as anyone else outside of work hours. It is important to recognize however, that what you publish on the Internet may reflect on your employer. Employees who use social media for personal purposes should:

• use a disclaimer anywhere there may be uncertainty about the capacity in which they are acting. A disclaimer, such as: "The postings on this site are my own and do not represent the views or opinions of my employer" can help protect you;
• recognize that anything posted on the Internet is there for good. Even if you attempt to delete the post, photo, comment, etc., it is likely that it has been stored in any number of other places. Content posted to the Internet should be thought of as permanent;
• avoid sharing government material in a personal space. Try and keep your personal online presence and your work online presence separate;
• respect copyright and fair use;
• recognize that if you publish inappropriate comments that reflect badly on your employer in your personal space, on your personal time, that disciplinary action could follow;
• above all, use common sense.

Senior Managers

For Individuals who hold senior positions, or who work in politically sensitive areas, a disclaimer does not by itself exempt them from special responsibility when posting online. By virtue of their position, these individuals should consider whether personal thoughts they publish may be misunderstood as expressing the positions or opinions of the Government of Nova Scotia. For individuals in positions like this, caution is advisable, and check with a communications director when in doubt.