Employee Handbook

Section 4 — Information Technology

Policy

For the purpose of this policy, a "computer" is any device that sends or receives data transmissions, data files, or electronic messages generated on or handled by electronic communication networks, personal computer systems, centralized computer systems, or software owned by the City of West Des Moines. This policy also covers personal equipment (such as items purchased with an employee's personal funds or brought into the environment by the employee) that is connected to the City's computer network or systems. For purposes of the Employee Handbook, the term does not apply to the use of the library's patron computer network.

Computer systems and Internet access are provided by the City to support open communications and exchange of information, as well as to provide the opportunity for collaborative City-related work. The City encourages the use of Electronic Communications Devices by its employees. Like any resource available to employees, Personal Use of the Internet is a revocable privilege. The use of City-provided computer systems must be for City business and not for personal business, except as allowed in the policy.

The computer systems’ hardware and software are the property of the City.  All messages sent or received, and all information stored on the City’s computer systems are the property of the City and not the private property of any employee.

An employee’s Personal Use of City-owned computer systems is a privilege, not a right. An employee is solely responsible and shall be personally liable (legally, financially, or otherwise) for the employee’s use of City-owned computer systems outside the scope of the employee’s employment.

Because no one controls the Internet, having an e-mail account will likely result in the employee’s receipt of Spam, including messages that may contain highly offensive and sexually explicit content. Even though the City uses various automated mechanisms in an attempt to keep Spam or objectionable material from employee's mailboxes, the City does not guarantee that all objectionable material will be identified or stopped. Users of the City e-mail systems are expected to make a reasonable individual effort to attempt to identify potentially objectionable content before opening an email item that they may find offensive.

All City Emails

Emails to the entire City are for official business only and will be limited to ensure efficient operation of the City. If you wish to send a message to the entire City, you must obtain approval from your Director who will work with the Communications Specialist in the City Manager's Office to approve the email message that will be sent to all employees.

Guidelines

The following are guidelines regarding computer, e-mail, and Internet usage:

• Employees must use the Internet in a professional and ethical manner.

• Employees must not use electronic communication devices for harassment or other inappropriate behavior regarding race, color, creed, religion, sex, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, ancestry, national origin, age, or disability.

• Employees must not use Electronic Communications Devices to create, access, display, archive, store, distribute, transmit, edit, or record material, which is sexually explicit, immoral, obscene, threatening, defrauding, violent or unlawful.

• Employees must not create, distribute, copy, or knowingly use unauthorized copies of copyrighted material or software, store such copies on City computers, or transmit them over the City’s networks.

• Employees must use the Internet only to access information that is publicly available or to which the employee has authorized access.

• Employees must not use Electronic Communications Devices for illegal activity.

• Confidential or sensitive information should not be transmitted over the Internet without appropriate security measures taken to safeguard the information.

• Contacts made over the Internet should not be entrusted with confidential City information unless a due diligence process has first been performed. Users shall not place City material (such as software, internal memos, and so forth) on any publicly accessible Internet computer unless the posting of these materials has first been approved by the appropriate department director.

• Credit card numbers, SCAN numbers, telephone calling card numbers, logon passwords, and other parameters that can be used to gain access to goods or services, must not be sent over the Internet in an unsecured form. The City cannot guarantee confidentiality over the Internet; therefore, individuals entering personal information (such as credit card numbers, social security numbers, and so forth) for personal use do so at their own risk.

• Exchanges of software between the City and any third party shall not proceed unless permission has been received from the department director and the Information Technology Director.

• The truth or accuracy of information on the Internet and in e-mail should be considered suspect until confirmed by a reliable source.

• To avoid libel, whenever any affiliation with the City is included with an Internet or internal e-mail, message, or posting, ”flaming” or similar written attacks are strictly prohibited. Whenever staff members provide an affiliation, they must also clearly indicate that the opinions expressed are their own and do not reflect those of the City.

• Users shall not use another user’s e-mail account without permission of the account’s owner. Unless specifically acting as an agent for another when sending a message from another account, users should clearly identify themselves as the author of the e-mail message.

Limitations

The following are limitations regarding Personal Use of the City's computer systems:

• Use must not interfere with the performance of the employee’s duties or productivity.

• Use is of nominal cost or value.

• Use must not negatively impact the performance of the City’s computing infrastructure or the system/device being used.

• Use must not interfere with the intended function of the device being used.

• Use must not create the appearance of impropriety.

• Use is reasonable in time, duration, and frequency.

• Use makes only minimal use of hardware and software resources.

• Use must not reflect poorly on the City or its reputation.

Software Usage

It is the City’s policy to respect all computer software copyrights and to adhere to the terms of all software licenses to which the City is a party. Unauthorized duplication of software may subject users or the City to both civil and criminal penalties under the United States Copyright Act. City employees may not use software in any manner inconsistent with the applicable license agreement, including giving or receiving software or fonts from contractors, citizens, and others.

The purchase of all commercial software to be installed on City-owned computers will be coordinated or purchased by the Information Technology Department.

Shareware© software is copyrighted software that is distributed via the Internet. It is the policy of the City to pay Shareware authors the fee they specify for use of their products. Under this policy, acquisition and registration of Shareware products will be handled the same way as for commercial software products.

Users are not permitted to load or download any personal software onto City computers. Generally, City-owned software cannot be taken home and loaded on a user's home computer if it also resides on a City computer. If a user is to use software at home, the City will purchase a separate package and record it as a City-owned asset. unless the software company provides in its license agreements that home use is permitted. If an employee must use City-owned software at home, each user must consult with the Information Technology Director to determine if appropriate licenses permit home use.

Employees shall only access or use information they are authorized to obtain or utilize. Employees who discover a violation of any part of this policy must immediately notify their department directors and the Information Technology Director, who will in turn inform the City Manager.  Misuse of the City’s computer systems can be grounds for disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.

Users of the City’s information systems or the Internet should realize that their communications are not automatically protected from viewing by third parties.

At any time and without prior notice, the City reserves the right to examine e-mail, voice mail, personal file directories, and other information stored on or transmitted through City computers. An employee's use of the City's computer systems or electronic technology constitutes consent to such examination.

City employees or volunteers cannot establish Internet or other external network connections that could allow non-City users to gain access to City of West Des Moines systems and information.

Alternate Internet Service Provider (ISP) connections to the City’s internal network are not permitted unless expressly authorized by the City Manager and the Information Technology Director and properly protected by a firewall or other appropriate security devices.

Whenever passwords or other system access control mechanisms are lost or suspected of being stolen or disclosed, the Information Technology Director must be notified immediately. All unusual behavior (such as missing files, frequent system crashes, misrouted messages, and so forth) shall be reported immediately to the Information Technology Director.

All use of the Internet must be in full compliance with U.S. Copyright Laws. Unless otherwise noted, all software on the internet should be considered copyrighted work. Therefore, employees are prohibited from downloading software or modifying any such files without permission from the copyright holder.

Any infringing activity by employees may be the responsibility of the City. Therefore, the City may choose to hold employees liable for their actions.

Files which are downloaded from the Internet must be scanned with virus detection software before installation or execution. All appropriate precautions should be taken to detect for a virus and, if necessary, to prevent its spread.

The introduction of viruses or malicious tampering with any computer system is expressly prohibited. Any such activity will result in disciplinary action, and, if it is a violation of state or federal law, it will also be prosecuted.

Sending or receiving of large files (larger than 50 megabytes) through the City’s Information Technology systems is generally discouraged and may be restricted at the firewall, e-mail gateway, or e-mail server in order to protect the system and the IT infrastructure. The use of Streaming Media sites is generally discouraged and may be restricted at the firewall in order to protect the IT infrastructure. Exceptions to this policy will be reviewed case-by-case by the Information Technology Director. Alternatives to file transmission through e-mail may be recommended or required depending on the situation.

Social Computing Guidelines

The purpose of this policy is to establish City regulations defining the use of various technologies known collectively as “Social Media”. Social Media accounts shall be used for the purpose of informing the public about city business, services, and events. All official City of West Des Moines presence on Social Media accounts are considered an extension of the City’s information networks.

This policy covers all Social Media messages generated on or handled by electronic communication systems owned by the City of West Des Moines. This policy is also applicable to all Social Media messages generated by employees of the City of West Des Moines that relate to their status as an employee of the City of West Des Moines. The regulation of employee speech is subject to the right of employees to freedom of speech as that right has been interpreted by the courts.

The City’s website www.wdm.iowa.gov will remain the official location for content regarding city business, services, and events. Whenever possible, links within Social Media formats should direct users back to the City’s website for more information, forms, documents, or online services necessary to conduct business with the City of West Des Moines. 

All city Social Media accounts should be viewable to the public and not use privacy settings.

The city logo and authorized departmental extensions should be used on all Social Media accounts to confirm authenticity of site.

If a department chooses to participate in Social Media, online representation on Social Media accounts is ultimately the responsibility of the Department Director. The Department Director shall appoint a Social Media moderator to control the Social Media account and ensure appropriateness of content.

Departments should regularly monitor and update accounts at least twice a week.

Employees representing the City of West Des Moines via Social Media accounts must conduct themselves at all times as representatives of the City of West Des Moines and must comply with the Guidelines contained in this policy and with the provisions relating to “Prohibited Content”. 

Any employee who discovers a violation of this policy shall immediately notify their Department Head who shall in turn inform the City Manager. An employee who violates this policy or uses Social Media for improper purposes shall be subject to disciplinary action up to, and including, termination of employment.                            

Posting Guidelines

Employees should be conscious of what they post on Social Media sites and avoid presenting personal opinions that imply endorsement by the employee’s Department or the City of West Des Moines. If posted material could be attributed to the employee’s Department or the City of West Des Moines, the post must be accompanied by a disclaimer identifying the statements or opinions presented as those of the poster and stating that the statements or opinions do not reflect those of either the employee’s Department or the City of West Des Moines.

Employees should not portray themselves as spokesperson for their Department or the City of West Des Moines unless they are specifically authorized to do so by either the Department Head or the City Manager.

Departments that use Social Media accounts are responsible for complying with applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and polices. This includes adherence to established laws and policies regarding copyright, records retention, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), First Amendment free speech rights, privacy laws, and information security policies established by the City of West Des Moines.  

Employees may not post text, video, pictures, or other material that would reasonably be considered to be detrimental to the image of the City or of an individual Department. Only post material which you have permission to use.

Employees should keep in mind that once an item is posted it is publicly available on the Internet and cannot be retracted.

Prohibited Content:

The following content shall be prohibited on official City of West Des Moines Social Media sites.

            Profane language or content

            Content that promotes, fosters, or perpetuates illegal discrimination of any kind.

            Sexually explicit content or links to such content.

Solicitation of others for commercial ventures, or religious, social, charitable, or political causes.

Making or publishing of false, defamatory, or malicious statements concerning any employee, supervisor, the city, or its operations.

Personal information about employees.

Posting of HIPAA protected information is not permitted.

Use of chat sessions in Social Media will not be permitted.

The City Manager, or designated representative, reserves the right to delete submissions that are deemed inappropriate, according to prescribed unacceptable content standards. If any record is deleted for unacceptable content, it is the responsibility of the affected Department to retain a public record of that content and keep a record of why the information was removed.

Friends, fans, or followers should be removed if they continue to post inappropriate content. One warning should be given, if appropriate. If the individual posts inappropriate content a second time, they should be removed or blocked.

Social Media Account Security

Department Social Media accounts should be tied to a City of West Des Moines email address, if possible.

Moderators should never leave a workstation unattended when logged on the Social Media account.

Only the Department Director and moderator(s) should know the login and password to Social Media accounts.

If the moderator changes, the login and password should also change.

            Personal Use of Social Media

Employees should make certain any online activities do not interfere with their effectiveness at work and ensure any on-duty Personal Use is limited in nature. If on-duty Personal Use is interfering with work effectiveness, employees will be subject to disciplinary action.

Employees should be mindful of blurring their personal and professional lives when using or accessing Social Media sites.

Employees may not use Social Media to engage in libelous, defamatory, obscene, or maliciously false behavior directed at the City, Departments, elected officials, appointed officials, other employees, or members of the public.

Employees may not post confidential information which they have learned through their employment with the City.

Posting of HIPAA protected information is not permitted.

Employees may not use their City email account in connection with a personal social networking account.

Employees shall not participate in online Social Media or forums on behalf of the City or their Department unless they are authorized to do so by the City Manager or their Department Director.

For additional information regarding unacceptable activities, please refer to section 9.1 of the Employee Handbook – Incompatible Activities.

When violations of these guidelines occur, the City reserves the right to exercise judgment in determining the appropriate level of discipline by reviewing each incident on a case-by-case basis.