GILLETTE, Wyo. – The Campbell County Commissioners on Tuesday approved a measure to revise the county’s existing social media standards for its employees.
The revisions add language to the county’s existing policy and are intended to maintain a productive work environment in county offices, according to County Human Resources Director Brandy Elder.
With the revisions, the county’s social media policy mirrors that of surrounding governments, including the State of Wyoming, and the U.S. Army, Elder said.
In a nutshell, the revisions serve to remind employees not to engage in behavior on social media that could be interpreted as harassment or bullying on social media, a scenario that has happened between county employees in the past, according to Elder.
In a memo sent to the commissioners ahead of their March 21 meeting, Elder wrote that complaints between employees are most likely to be resolved by speaking directly to each other.
“Posting such work-related complaints to a social media outlet is less likely to resolve conflicts or concerns,” Elder wrote.
The revisions state that, should employees choose to post complaints or criticism, they must avoid using statements, photographs, and video or audio that could be reasonably viewed as malicious, defamatory, obscene, threatening, or intimidating towards those working for on behalf of the county.
Such content could include offensive posts intentionally harming someone’s reputation or posts that could contribute to a hostile work environment, per the memo, which states any inappropriate postings will not be tolerated and violators could face disciplinary action including termination of county employment.
