HomeMy WebLinkAbout004. Political Activities Policy #004
Section Name: Employee Relations Effective Date: September 8, 2009
Section Number: 400 Date of Revision:
Policy Number: 004
Page: 1 of 4
Subject: Political Activities
1. Purpose. The purpose of this policy is to prohibit employees from engaging in any
political activity using City property or facilities and/or during the employee's work
hours.
2. Statement of Policy. The City encourages employees to exercise their constitutional
right to participate in the political process. However, political and campaign activities
can be disruptive and are not permitted during work hours. State campaign laws prohibit
the unauthorized and inappropriate use of public property and assets for certain political
activities. In the interest of maintaining a productive and tension-free work environment,
the City has adopted the following policy restricting political and campaign-related
activities in the workplace. Employees may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and
including termination, for violating this policy.
2.1 Prohibited Employee Activities
Employees are not permitted to participate in any political activity that interferes
with or disrupts the workplace in any manner. Without the City’s express written
approval, it is a violation of City policy for any employee to:
a) Use work time or City resources and property to accomplish goals that are
politically motivated or to assist any person, political candidate,
organization, political action committee, or ballot question committee in
efforts to influence the nomination or election of a candidate, or for the
qualification, passage, or defeat of a ballot question.
b) Solicit or encourage monetary contributions, signatures, or other support
for a political party, campaign, candidate, or political belief during work
hours or on City property, unless expressly authorized by State or Federal
law.
c) Use City facilities, including but not limited to, break or eating areas,
bulletin boards, conference rooms, or offices, for any political or
campaign activity, or political fundraising activity.
2
d) Utilize the City’s property, City funds, or City-issued property, including
but not limited to facilities, City-owned vehicles, telephones (both cellular
and desk phones), pagers, personal digital assistants and other electronic
devices, computers, printers and scanners, facsimile machines, e-mail
systems, on-line bulletin boards, cameras and other recording devices,
mail service or voicemail, photocopiers, postage, paper, envelopes, or
other office supplies, for any political or campaign activity.
e) Display political material (e.g., literature, badges, signs, or other material
advertising or promoting a political cause, party, or candidate).
f) Use the City’s name, marks, seal, and images or affiliation in connection
with any political or campaign activity, at any time.
g) Participate in volunteer political activities, including campaigns for
individual candidates and ballot questions, while fulfilling employment
obligations to the City. This prohibition applies regardless as to whethe r
the employee engages in the volunteer political activities on the property
of the City.
h) Use his or her official authority as a City employee or position within the
City, either directly or indirectly, to affect the nomination or election of
any politica l candidate, to affect the voting or political affiliation of any
other employee of the City, or to cause any other employee of the City to
make a contribution in support of, or in opposition to, any political
candidate, organization, political action committee, or ballot question.
2.2 Political Coercion, Harassment and Retaliation
The City respects each employee’s political beliefs and preferences. It is against
City policy for anyone to behave in a threatening, harassing, or discriminatory
manner toward any other employee with respect to his or her political beliefs or
activities. The City does not permit its managers to coerce employees into
supporting or opposing any political candidate, party, or belief. It is a violation of
this policy for any manager to retaliate, threaten to retaliate, or take any adverse
action against an employee for his/her support or opposition to any political
campaign or party affiliation.
2.3 Employees Running for Public Office
Employees who decide to run for public office are expected to keep politics
separate from employment, and must not allow political involvement to interfere
with work performance. The City strictly prohibits employees who are seeking
public office from using the City’s name in association with any political or
3
campaign activity without the City’s express written permission. Employees
wishing to run for public office should notify their supervisor and the City
Manager in writing of their intentions, specifying the position and venue in which
they are seeking election. Employees elected to a full-time office are encouraged
to either resign or request a leave of absence without pay. The City does not
guarantee that employees will be reinstated to their previous position or any other
position upon return from a leave of absence for political service. Employees
elected to public office must inform the City Manager, in writing, of the existence
of any potential or actual conflict of interest affecting the employee’s duties of the
City, and must cooperate to the extent practicable to resolve such conflicts to the
City’s satisfaction.
2.4 Use of City Name, Marks, Seal, and Images in Political Campaigns .
(a) The City absolutely prohibits all political candidates, whether employed by
the City or not, from using its trademarks, service marks, and seal in political
campaigns. This prohibition includes marks and images that are confusingly
similar to the City's marks or seal, or that evokes or is intended to be
associated with the City in the public's mind. This policy applies to all marks
owned or used by the City, and its affiliates.
(b) The City is a non-partisan entity and does not endorse candidates for any
political office. All candidates for political office, whether employed by the
City or not, are prohibited from using the name or image of the City in a
manner that implies or suggests endorsement by the City.
(c) The prohibition described in section (a) also applies to pictures of City
facilities and events in which any marks appear.
(d) A candidate for any City elective office may use the name of the City only to
identify the office and discuss issues relating to the campaign.
(e) The name of the City may also be used in other campaigns when used in the
context of discussing issues relevant to the campaign.
3. Definitions. The term "contribution" is defined to mean a payment, gift, subscription,
assessment, expenditure, contract, payment for services, dues, advance, forbearance,
loan, or donation of money or anything of ascertainable monetary value, or a transfer of
anything of ascertainable monetary value to a person, made for the purpose of influencing
the nomination or election of a candidate, or for the qualification, passage, or defeat of a
ballot question. For purposes of this policy, "contribution" also included volunteer
political activities and incidental costs.
4. Application. This policy shall apply to all employees of the City of Monroe.
4
5. Responsibility. The Human Resources Director and/or designee will be responsible for
implementing and overseeing this policy.
6. Administrative Procedure. None.
7. Legislative History of Authority for Creation or Revision.
Adopted pursuant to action of the Monroe City Council, dated September 8, 2009.
Revised pursuant to action of the Monroe City Council, dated ____________.