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PUBLIC FACILITIES, RECREATION &
SPECIAL EVENTS DEPARTMENT
POLICY NUMBER 6.5
SOCIAL MEDIA/MOBILE DEVICE USE PROCEDURE
9/5/2018
12/9/2020
Section 6 - Marketing
I. DEFINITIONS
App - An application that can be downloaded for use on a desktop or mobile device.
City/Department - Refers to the City of Glendale/PFRSE Department.
City Business - All work performed that has a direct relation to the City's operation and activities.
City Spokespersons - City employees who are authorized by the PFRSE Director to speak on the
City/department's behalf.
Comment - A response that is provided as an answer or reaction to a post or a message on social
media sites.
Content – Any and all information shared digitally. Content can take various forms that include
textual, auditory, or visual; i.e., artwork, photos, email or instant messages, data, audio and video
files, etc.
Personal Site - A profile created on a social media platform by an individual for personal use and
to share personal communication with friends and acquaintances.
Platform - The software or technology that helps users to build, integrate or facilitate community,
interactive and user-generated content. For example, a blog or a wiki is a social media tool, but the
technology used to create and host them, such as Facebook or Twitter, is considered the platform.
Post - Content shared on a social media site or the act of publishing content on a site.
Professional Networking - A type of social media service that is focused solely on interactions and
relationships of a business and professional nature rather than including personal, non- business
interactions. Professional networking sites allow users to make connections through which they can
find jobs, and also allow other users and possible employers to view profiles and share
recommendations. Additionally, these sites allow professionals from different fields of interest to
ask questions and share opinions and knowledge. Linkedln is an example of a professional
networking site.
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Profile - Information provided about a person or an entity on a social media site. A person's social
media profile is generally created by that individual.
Public Record - A record made or maintained by a City employee in the performance of that
employee's job, to memorialize official transactions, or as required by law.
Repost- Content an individual shares on a social media site that is created or generated by someone
else or the act of publishing content on a site that is created or generated by someone else.
Social Media - Refers to the interaction among people in which they create, share, and/or exchange
information and ideas in virtual communities and networks. Social media is the collective of online
communication channels dedicated to community-based input, interaction, content-sharing and
collaboration. Websites and applications dedicated to forums, blogging, social networking,
professional networking, and wikis are among the different types of social media. Social media
includes social networking and professional networking sites.
Social Networking - The practice of expanding social contacts by making connections through
individuals. A social networking service is a platform to build social networks or social relations
among people who may share interests, activities, backgrounds or real -life connections. A social
networking service consists of a representation of each user (often a pro file), social links, and a
variety of additional services. Social networking allows individuals to create a profile, create a list
of users with whom to share connections, view and cross the connections within the system, and
share information, photos, links, and items of interest.
Examples include Facebook, lnstagram, YouTube, Twitter, Pinterest, TikTok, Google+, and Tumblr.
II. PROCEDURE
a. Department use of social media technology shall conform to the policies, protocols and
procedures contained or referenced, herein.
b. The administrators are responsible for assigning staff authorized to use appropriate access
levels of city social media accounts on behalf of the department, pending approval of
department director.
c. Designated employees shall only utilize PFRSE’s approved, established social media
platforms.
d. Designated employees shall be responsible for establishing and maintaining content posted
to the social media sites, per established criteria, and shall have measures in effect to
prevent inappropriate or technically harmful information and links.
e. Social media sites shall be monitored regularly, and prompt corrective action shall be taken
when an issue arises that places or has potential to place the department at risk. All
authorized users for the department must undergo social media training with the
department administrators prior to taking on that role.
III. POLICY: APPLICABLE TO ALL EMPLOYEES
a. Personal Social Media Presence. Employees may express themselves as private citizens on
non-city social media sites. An employee's use of any social media site must comply with
copyright laws, data security and privacy regulations, criminal laws, and any other
applicable federal, state, and local law.
b. Privacy and Social Media. Social media and Internet use should not be considered
anonymous. Employees should be aware that privacy settings for social media sites are
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constantly in flux, and they should not assume that personal information posted on such
sites is protected. Published social media content may be explored, transmitted, stored,
and archived by external entities. Even the strongest privacy settings cannot prevent an
approved “friend” or authorized recipient from independently choosing to forward or repost
the information. There is no such th ing as a "private" social media site. For example, while
personal social media privacy settings may be adjusted so only “friends” or authorized
individuals can view content, those same individuals can forward comments, posts, and
pictures to anyone, or they could take screenshots of what is posted. As a result, what is
posted on a personal social media site may be forwarded to co -workers and supervisors,
which could negatively impact the work environment or have consequences in the workplace.
Personal social media postings that relate to co-workers, other City employees, supervisors,
or management, or activities that occur at work, can be considered as part of human
resource or equal opportunity investigations and Notices of Inquiry.
Keep the "headline test" in mind when posting content or pictures to social media sites. Use
your best judgment - if it is not something you would feel comfortable seeing in the media,
or being seen by co-workers, other City employees, supervisors, or management, do not
post it.
c. Speaking on Behalf of the City. Only those employees specifically authorized by City
management may speak on behalf of the City. Employees must not mislead the public to
believe the employee is an official City spokesperson if they are not authorized to function
in this capacity.
d. Identification of City Employment in Social Media. Employees who participate in social
networking and professional networking sites may decide to include information about their
work with the City of Glendale as part of their personal profile, as it would relate to a typical
social conversation. This may include:
• work information included in a personal profile, to include City name, job title, and job
duties;
• status updates regarding an employee's own job promotion or other professional or work-
related advancements, achievements, and honors; and
• personal participation in City-sponsored events, including volunteer activities.
e. Perception. With social media, the lines between public and private, personal and
professional can be blurred. Employees identifying themselves as working for the City should
be mindful that they may be creating perceptions about themselves and about the City by
customers, business partners, and the general public, and perceptions about themselves by
co-workers, other City employees, supervisors, and management.
Employees must not represent or speak on behalf of the City on their personal social media
sites when they are not authorized to do so. Employees must not give the appearance that
they are speaking on behalf of the City or posting comments as an official City representative
on personal social media sites, when they are not authorized to speak on behalf of the City.
This perception may be avoided by choosing to not post work -related information, featuring
themselves while wearing a City uniform or displaying the City logo, patches, badges, or City
vehicles on a personal site - especially in profile images. These actions could cause people
to believe employees are posting as authorized City spokespersons, official City
representatives, or on behalf of the City of Glendale/PFRSE Dept.
f. City Business, City Time, and City Resources. Employees must be engaged in City business
while at work or while on City time. Accessing and posting to a personal social media site
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while at work or while on City time is not appropriate. Employees should not use their City
of Glendale e-mail addresses for communication on their personal social networking sites.
g. Reposting. Employees may repost official City information and posts on their personal social
media sites on their own time and using their own devices. Employees may choose to share
and repost City news, events, and information from the City's website, pages, and social
media sites or choose to follow the various City and Department Facebook pages, Twitter
accounts, and other social media sites.
h. Confidential or Proprietary Information. Social media postings that contain proprietary
images or materials belonging to the City are prohibited except where authorized by official
designees of the City. This includes, but is not limited to, personal identifying Information
of individuals, restricted City information, and information about City business
development, partnership negotiations and projects, investigations, or procurements.
Employees may not disclose information on any social media network that is confidential to
the City or its employees or that is protected by data privacy laws. In addition, Employees
may not post any nonpublic images of City premises and property, including floor plans.
i. Laws, Rules and Regulations. Comply with all applicable federal, state, and county laws,
regulations and policies including, but not limited to copyright, records retention, First
Amendment, privacy laws, employment related laws and social media usage policies .
j. New Employee Orientation. All new employees (and current employees at the date of
implementation of this policy) must be given this policy to review and sign acknowledgement
to be kept in the employee’s file.
k. Interaction with Customers/Patrons. Employees’ interactions with any customer/patron on
a social media platform should be done so with the customer/patron’s (or parent/guardian)
prior written permission, including posting of images, tagging, friending, following, etc.,
outside of work time.
l. Additional Social Media Policies. Employees will be expected to adhere to HR Policy No.
521 and HR Policy No. 516, both pertaining to social media.
IV. MOBILE/SMARTPHONE USE BY DEPARTMENTAL STAFF
a. Department staff are not to spend city paid time on smartphone/social media activities
while working within a customer service capacity or otherwise engaged with the public,
program participants or volunteers for city business.
i. With approval of a supervisor, employees may briefly step into employee only areas to
manage personal device communications for issues such as family emergencies and
those that can be categorized urgent by nature.
ii. Departmental staff engaged by participants/members of the public under the age of
18 may NOT use their cell phones or other personal devices for any reason in front of
participants. These positions include lifeguards, summer camp staff, front desk staff,
among others.
iii. All employees are prohibited to use any photographic, video, voice recording devices
during work hours unless specifically authorized by supervisor. Supervisors will
establish communication processes for work-related needs in advance of program
start.
iv. Each work area within the department may submit situation -specific rules/guidelines
applicable to this policy and procedures, to be approved by the department director.
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V. Online Code of Conduct
Employees, et al, will be held to the same set of standards through social media /smartphone
use that is outlined in HR Policy 504 Employee Conduct.
VI. Compliance
Violation of this department policy may result in disciplinary action, up to and including
termination of employment.
VII. Policies/Reference materials
a. HR Policy No. 521 Website and Social Media
b. HR Policy No. 516 Usage of Social Media and Social Networking
c. HR Policy No. 504 Employee Conduct