Council approves new social media policy for city employees

“While employees have the right to freedom of expression, this must be balanced against their duty of fidelity,” Bear said.

She noted the city’s previous social media policy was approved in 2014 and mostly governed the creation of new social media accounts on behalf of the city.

Mayor Greg Dionne supports the updated rules.

“We have to make sure that people that we employ are positive about our city, and that’s why we hire you,” he told paNOW after the meeting. “You’re paid by the city and we expect you to be respectful to your employer… we don’t think our employees should be criticizing us, strictly because sometimes they don’t have the information that we do.”

Mayor Greg Dionne says “if you want something negative, you go on social media.”

Asked if there had been issues in the past, Dionne said there had been a few.

“Just negative comments that council shouldn’t have made this decision or that decision,” he explained when asked for examples.

Meanwhile Coun. Tony Head told paNOW he was concerned the new policy might give employees the impression the city doesn’t want to hear from them.

“We’re supposed to foster communication and relationships with our employees,” he said referencing the city’s Communications Master Plan. “This flies in the face of that.”

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alison.sandstrom@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @alisandstrom

by Alison Sandstrom

Council approves new social media policy for city employees

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