It shall be the mission of the Village to ensure its employees
maintain professional conduct in their on- and off-work lives. This
shall include the image an employee portrays of themselves on the
internet and computer-related media.
The purpose of this policy is to outline the expectations of
employees with respect to their use of social media and social networking
and the direct effect such use has upon the reputation and perception
of the Village.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
Employees shall not use any form of social media or social networking,
including but not limited to: Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn,
Tumblr, YouTube, Google+, Pinterest, Instagram, Foursquare, The Squad
Room, usenet groups, online forums, message boards or bulletin boards,
blogs, and other similarly developed formats, in any way so as to
tarnish the Village's reputation. Employees of the Village are embodiments
of our mission. It is vital that each employee accept their role as
ambassadors of the department, striving to maintain public trust and
confidence, in not only their professional actions but also in their
personal and online actions. Any online activity that has the effect
of diminishing the public's trust and/or confidence in the Village
will hinder the efforts of the Village to fulfill its mission. Any
online actions taken that detract from the mission of the Village,
or reflect negatively on the position of the Village will be viewed
as a direct violation of this policy. For police officers: By virtue
of the position of peace officer, they are held to a higher standard
than general members of the public and their online activities should
reflect such professional expectations and standards.