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Once you find your niche, it can be quite thrilling to build a community online. For many bloggers or those with social media followings, it can feel like a second family or a larger community of friends. But for some, it can impact their employment with the federal government if it violates the Hatch Act or otherwise constitute misconduct.
Our federal employment attorneys at The Law Firm of John P. Mahoney, Esq., Attorneys at Law, PLLC share what you need to know about how personal blogging and social media followings can affect federal employment.
Posting About Common Interests
When you build your online brand, you’ll most likely post about a general topic or theme, such as cooking, fashion, hobbies, or other interests you have. But for federal employees, there is a limit on what they can post online. Federal employees who post about political matters are subject to the Hatch Act and posts that have a nexus to your federal employment and constitute actionable misconduct can lead to discipline.
If you believe that you are posting about political topics that may leave you vulnerable to the Hatch Act or other conduct rules, contact our attorneys today to schedule a consultation by calling us at (202) 350-3881.
How to Protect Yourself When Posting Online
It’s quite simple — don't post about political topics or engage in conduct unbecoming a federal employee online. Keep it neutral, keep it fun, but don’t post about political topics or engage in any conduct unbecoming a federal employee. Even if you post about a political topic once, you can violate the Hatch Act by engaging in unsanctioned political activity.
Keep your blog and social posts focused on your niche or other non-controversial topics. Build out that cooking blog or begin that fashion TikTok. Post about your classic car rebuilds or your kids’ baseball games and recitals. You can even post that you voted on election day, as long as you don’t post about who you voted for and your social media activity and blog content do not relate to unsanctioned political activity, you should be in the clear from the Hatch Act.
Do You Have Concerns About Your Social Media Activity?
As a federal employee, you want to avoid engaging in activities that could prompt the termination of your employment. If you are concerned about your social media activity and its relationship with your employment, our top-rated and award-winning team of federal employment lawyers can review your concerns and guide you through a plan of action.
Call us today at (202) 350-3881 or contact us online to schedule a consultation with our award-winning federal employment attorneys at The Law Firm of John P. Mahoney, Esq., Attorneys at Law, PLLC.
