Isabella Carter
Federal employees in the US are subject to the Hatch Act, which restricts their political activity depending on their position. While most employees are allowed to engage in some campaign-related activities, there are strict rules about how they can participate. For example, they can attend campaign events as long as they are off-duty and not attending in an official capacity. They are also allowed to become a friend or fan of a political party or group on Facebook, but only if they are not on duty and their privacy settings are adjusted so that their lists of friends, likes, interests, and pages are not visible to others. Employees are also prohibited from using their official authority or influence in exchange for political action.
Are Vidant employees allowed to be involved in political campaigns?
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Federal employees allowed to be involved in political campaigns | Yes, but with some restrictions |
| Employees subject to | Hatch Act |
| "Less restricted" employees | Most career employees in the executive branch |
| "Further restricted" employees | Senior Executive Service (SES), administrative law judges, employees in the Criminal Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Security Division, ATF criminal investigators and explosives enforcement officers |
| "Less restricted" employees can | Participate in political management or partisan political campaigns while off-duty, outside a federal facility and not using federal property |
| "Further restricted" employees cannot | Campaign for or against candidates or engage in political activity with a political party, a candidate for partisan political office, or a partisan political group |
| Employees can | Attend campaign events when off-duty and not in their official capacity |
| "Less restricted" employees can | Speak at campaign events |
| Employees cannot | Use official authority or influence in exchange for political action |
| Employees cannot | Circulate a candidate's nominating petition within the office |
| Employees cannot | Use office computers to produce brochures in support of a candidate's campaign |
| Employees cannot | Send email invitations to campaign events to friends within the agency |
| Employees cannot | Forward emails received from a partisan campaign or supporter of a partisan candidate using state internet connections |
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What You'll Learn
- Employees can attend and even speak at campaign events, but only when off-duty and not in an official capacity
- Employees can follow political campaigns on social media, but must adjust privacy settings to remain discreet
- Employees are prohibited from using company resources for political campaigns, including computers and email addresses
- Employees must notify an ethics official if they or their spouse are running for public office
- Employees must be mindful of the donors to their campaigns and identify any that could raise appearance issues
Employees can attend and even speak at campaign events, but only when off-duty and not in an official capacity
Federal employees are subject to the Hatch Act, which restricts their political activity to varying degrees depending on their position. "Less restricted" employees, including most career employees in the executive branch, can participate in political management or partisan political campaigns while off-duty, outside of a federal facility, and not using federal property. They are allowed to attend campaign events as long as they are not attending in an official capacity. They can also speak at these events.
"Further restricted" employees, including career Senior Executive Service (SES) employees, administrative law judges, employees in the Criminal Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the National Security Division, are held to stricter rules. They are precluded from active participation in political management or partisan political campaigns, even when off-duty. These employees may not campaign for or against candidates or otherwise engage in political activity in concert with a political party, a candidate for partisan political office, or a partisan political group.
It is important to note that federal employees must not use their official positions to bolster any political statements they make. They are also restricted from forwarding political emails from their government emails to their personal emails while on duty or in a federal facility. Additionally, they cannot use their work computers to produce brochures in support of a candidate's campaign or send email invitations to campaign events to friends within their agency.
While the Hatch Act allows most federal employees to engage in campaign-related activities, it is crucial for them to be mindful of the restrictions and guidelines that apply to their specific positions. By following these rules, federal employees can ensure they remain compliant while still participating in the political process.
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Employees can follow political campaigns on social media, but must adjust privacy settings to remain discreet
While Vidant employees are allowed to be involved in political campaigns to varying degrees, they must remain mindful of the rules and restrictions that apply to their position. "Less restricted" employees, including most career employees in the executive branch, can participate in political management or partisan political campaigns while off-duty, outside of federal facilities, and not using federal property. On the other hand, "further restricted" employees, such as those in the Criminal Division or the Federal Bureau of Investigation, are held to stricter rules that preclude active participation in political campaigns, even when off-duty.
When it comes to social media usage, employees can follow political campaigns but must exercise discretion by adjusting their privacy settings accordingly. This means ensuring that their social media activity remains private and is not shared beyond their intended audience. For example, on Facebook, employees can adjust their privacy settings to control who can see their "friends," "likes," "interests," and "pages." On Twitter, they can hide their list of followers from their own friends and followers.
To maintain discretion, employees should periodically review and update their privacy settings across all social media platforms. This includes Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Snapchat. Each platform offers different privacy options, such as limiting who can see your profile and posts, disabling personalized ads, and opting out of location-sharing. It is important to familiarize yourself with the settings of each platform and make the necessary adjustments to protect your privacy.
Additionally, employees should be cautious about the information they share on their profiles and posts. This includes being mindful of trivia games, which can sometimes be used to gain access to personal information. Using a reliable proxy service or a virtual private network (VPN) can also enhance privacy by masking the user's actual IP address. Ultimately, by adjusting privacy settings and being vigilant about their online activity, Vidant employees can follow political campaigns on social media while maintaining the discretion required by their position.
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Employees are prohibited from using company resources for political campaigns, including computers and email addresses
While Vidant employees are allowed to be involved in political campaigns, there are strict guidelines that must be followed. Employees are prohibited from using company resources for political campaigns, including computers and email addresses. This means that employees cannot use their work computers to create or distribute campaign materials, nor can they use their company email addresses to send or forward emails related to political campaigns. This also extends to using personal email addresses to forward political emails received on a company email.
Federal employees are subject to the Hatch Act, which restricts their political activity depending on their position. "Less restricted" employees can actively participate in political management or partisan political campaigns while off-duty, outside of a federal facility, and not using federal property. This includes most career employees in the executive branch. On the other hand, "further restricted" employees are held to stricter rules that preclude active participation in political campaigns, even when off-duty. These employees include senior executives, judges, and investigators, who are prohibited from campaigning for or against candidates or engaging with political parties or groups.
It is important to note that employees should not use their official positions or influence to support political campaigns. This includes refraining from using titles, positions, or any authority associated with their roles in political activities. Additionally, employees should be mindful of any potential bias that may arise due to donors connected to matters they are officially participating in. Regularly reviewing lists of donors and identifying any potential issues is essential to maintain ethical standards.
While employees can express their political interests on personal social media accounts, there are still guidelines to follow. For example, they cannot use their official email addresses to follow or support political pages or accounts. If they choose to follow or "like" political pages on Facebook, they must adjust their privacy settings to ensure their lists of "friends," "likes," and "interests" are not visible to the public. Similar guidelines apply to Twitter, where employees must keep their lists of followed accounts hidden from their followers.
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Employees must notify an ethics official if they or their spouse are running for public office
While there is no information specifically about Vidant employees, federal employees are subject to the Hatch Act, which governs their involvement in political campaigns. The degree to which their political activity is restricted depends on their position.
If a federal employee or their spouse is running for public office, the employee must notify an ethics official. The official will advise the employee on the ethical rules that apply to their specific situation. This is important because a perception of bias can arise if donors to the campaign have connections to matters the employee is involved in. Employees must regularly review lists of donors to identify any potential issues. They should also consider whether donors are prohibited sources under the gift rules (5 CFR Section 2635.201, et seq.) and whether the donation raises concerns under the "catch-all" provision (5 CFR Section 2635.502).
"Less restricted" employees, including most career employees in the executive branch, can actively participate in political management or partisan political campaigns while off-duty, outside of a federal facility, and not using federal property. They can also speak at campaign events. However, they must not use their official authority or influence in exchange for political action from others.
On the other hand, "further restricted" employees are prohibited from active participation in political management or partisan political campaigns, even when off-duty. This includes senior executives, administrative law judges, employees in specific divisions, and certain types of investigators and officers. These employees may not campaign for or against candidates or engage in political activity in concert with a political party or partisan group.
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Employees must be mindful of the donors to their campaigns and identify any that could raise appearance issues
While "less restricted" employees can participate in political management or partisan political campaigns while off-duty, outside a federal facility, and not using federal property, they must remain vigilant about the donors to their campaigns. This is because a perception of bias can arise if donors to the campaign are connected to matters the federal employee is officially involved in. Employees must regularly review lists of donors, identifying any that could raise appearance issues.
For instance, employees must consider whether donors are prohibited sources under the gift rules (5 CFR Section 2635.201, et seq.) and whether the donation raises concerns under the “catch-all” provision in 5 CFR Section 2635.502. This is to ensure that employees do not corruptly use or promise to use any official authority or influence in exchange for political action.
Additionally, employees should be mindful of their online presence regarding political campaigns. While they can follow political groups or candidates on social media, they must adjust their privacy settings to ensure that their activity is not visible to the public. This includes hiding lists of "friends," "likes," "interests," and "pages" on Facebook and keeping their list of followed accounts on Twitter private.
It is also important to note that "further restricted" employees, such as those in the Criminal Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the National Security Division, are held to stricter rules. These employees are precluded from active participation in political management or partisan political campaigns, even when off-duty.
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