Ethics Illustrated: Social Media Networking and the Ethics Rules for Federal Employees

Social Media is a powerful tool - and if you are a Federal employee using Social Media in your personal capacity to enhance your professional networking -- or -- if you are looking to earn some extra cash as an influencer, be sure you know the federal Ethics rules. Because these rules are so important, the USDA Office of Ethics, a leader in creating innovative ethics resources, has joined forces with the Ethics advisors at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Farm Credit Administration (FCA) to provide you with this quick refresher. While this video provides practical advice that Federal employees can use right away, it is not intended to be an exhaustive listing of the Ethics rules, and it is not a replacement for talking to your agency’s Ethics advisor about your specific situation. If you are a USDA employee and have any questions, contact the Office of Ethics at: www.usda.gov/oe. For additional resources, you can also download USDA’s free, publicly available, Ethics App, by searching "USDA Ethics" on any smartphones (Apple and Android) app store. USDA is also the first agency that created a new Ethics Training Game featuring space exploration, astronauts, food sustainability, and the Federal Ethics rules - it’s located on the USDA website at www.usda.gov/oe.