USPS May Discipline Employees For Non-Compliance With New Social Media Policy

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USPS Reminds Employees They Can Be Fired For Non-Compliance With New Social Media Policy

USPS SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY – NAVIGATING A NEW FRONTIER
It began in earnest this past summer, when the Postal Service previewed its schedule of 2012 commemorative stamps on Facebook and Twitter (Link, 7/18). Before that, USPS had established a YouTube channel in 2007, maintained Facebook and LinkedIn pages for recruiting, and there were podcasts that provided online news to employees and customers. The Postal Customer Council and National Postal Forum programs also had Twitter accounts going back to 2009.

Building on initial groundwork that was laid nearly 18 months ago during a cross-functional Social Media Summit, the Postal Service now has established a corporate social media policy and is set to more extensively use social media to reach customers and market its brand.

USPS has revised its Administrative Support Manual (ASM), adding a new “Part 363” that outlines USPS policy concerning social media. The new policy defines “social media” as any form of online publishing or discussion, including but not limited to: blogs, wikis, YouTube, podcasts, social networking sites — such as Facebook, MySpace, and LinkedIn ― Twitter/Microblogs and Web 2.0.

Whether employees choose to participate in social media on their own time is their decision. However, when using social media in a personal capacity, employees may not speak for or act on behalf of the Postal Service. All uses of social media related to official USPS business require management consent.

USPS employees who use social media in their official capacity to communicate with the public or other postal employees must follow the specific rules and regulations outlined in the ASM revision. This revision is available in the Postal Bulletin 22322 (10-20-2011) and online at the Postal Service Policy Net website.

Employees should be aware that the Web is not anonymous. External content is accessible to anyone with a browser and isn’t as secure as content on the Postal Service’s intranet.

All USPS employees are responsible for complying with this policy. The new policy states that failure to do so may result in corrective action up to and including dismissal from the Postal Service.

source: USPS News Link

10 thoughts on “USPS May Discipline Employees For Non-Compliance With New Social Media Policy”

  1. Hitler wanted to silence the Jews and everyone else that disseminated his one world order, what’s happening to America, approximately 25 million citizens destitute, what’s next?

  2. “It appears that the October 26, 2011, reposting of the manual units’ traditional duty assignments as non-traditional full-time (NTFT) duty assignments is a ploy by management to frighten , intimidate, harass and coerce the senior employees who presently hold bid assignments in the manual units into bidding on the NTFT assignments to avoid being assigned”

    “a ploy by management to frighten , intimidate, harass and coerce” Hummmm?

    Management care to go some rounds in court with their New Social Media Policy?

  3. To remain silent when they should protest makes cowards of men…Thomas Jefferson.

    WELCOME TO THE WORLD WIDE WHICH YOU DONT OWN. ASSHOLES.

  4. Come and get it post office boys. I’ll be looking forward to my big payoff when i sue your azz for violating my free speech rights. I’m sure there will be a mob of lawyers drooling over this. By the way, i don’t HAVE to ‘tarnish the reputation of the Postal Service.’ Management is doing a fine job of it all on its own…

  7. Spoke with a great postal employee today. She was a shot of life and had great customer service. I was happier after I left the post office vs when I went in

  8. The post office is catering to the 1 % seeking to further destroy the middle class. My 1st amendment protected personal opinion. Now was that speaking”for” the postal service?

  9. Biggest defense to any defamation action is truth–if a person states something that is true, there is no defamation.

  10. Let no one read into this what is not there! One would be foolish to claim he or she represented the service in their on line statements. That does not mean one can not offer their opinion on a matter. The social media is not controlled by the U.S.P.S. and the right to free speech still exists in America. To discipline an employee would require proof that the person a) Violated an existing law b) Broke a contractual agreement ( work slow down or strike). c) Violated a regulation in the C.F.R. The fact one has freedom of speech does not mean they can use it carelessly and yell fire in a crowded movie theater or libel someone with impunity. So take time to think through your postings first and choose your words wisely and you should have no problems!

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