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Personal communications made via social media are not exempt from the laws and regulations that govern personal liability across general and traditional forms of communication. Such communications should not indicate that you are speaking on behalf of Tufts University. You are responsible for what you post on your own site and on the sites of others.

Employees may, on occasion, utilize social media and the web for personal matters in the workplace.  Employees may engage in incidental personal use of social media in the workplace so long as such use does not consume significant time or resources, interfere with operations and productivity, or violate university or department policies. A disciplinary or other review may be initiated if an employee’s online activity violates law or Tufts policy, or if the employee’s non-official or unauthorized online activity otherwise subjects the university to liability for such acts. Employees must recognize that Tufts reserves the right to monitor use of its computer systems.

Clearly identify your personal communications: In some cases, individuals maintain several social media channels, with some for personal use and others for official Tufts business. Individuals must use care to separate the two uses and may not use Tufts outlets to distribute personal communications. For transparency, employees who use personal social media channels to talk about work or Tufts-related matters are asked to disclose their affiliation with Tufts. Employees may consider adding a disclaimer to their social media accounts stating that their thoughts are their own. For instance, on X/Twitter, users can use the “Bio” field to note that the views and thoughts expressed are their own and do not reflect the views of Tufts.

Protected Activity

Nothing in this policy should be read to restrict your ability to engage in concerted, protected activity under the National Labor Relations Act with your fellow employees regarding your wages, hours and other terms and conditions of employment. Tufts encourages employees to use established processes and direct complaints or concerns about their job or working environment to supervisors, local or university administrators and human resources officers. This policy is not intended to govern or restrict personal presence on the web or to abridge or otherwise restrict principles of academic freedom.

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