On Wednesday, I will be sitting on a panel for MicroPact’s 462 10th Annual Conference: The Changing Landscape on EEO in the Federal Workplace. Speaking at events like this are typically one of my favorite parts of my job – it’s always great to connect directly with government employees to really learn first hand about what their challenges are, innovative projects in government and then help to tell their great government stories on GovLoop. So although this is a quick post, be sure to check back for a follow up post on the event and how the panel went.
If you are already planning on attending, be sure to grab me to chat and grab a seat for the session. The panel I will be sitting on is Social Media and EEO Policy. We’ll be covering a lot of issues pertinent to social media use in the public sector and at the workplace. The prompt for the session is:
Social Media continues to transform society around the globe. The implications of real-time information sharing and radically new online and mobile social experiences are still being discovered daily. The pace of change has far outstripped the ability of government and business to adapt and create policy to address and manage the phenomenon.
New applications of these technologies will continue for years to come. Attitudes, sensibilities and the law will continue to change as well. However, best practices and creative approaches to dealing with the impact of social media are emerging.
The goal of this panel is to highlight common issues and challenges related to EEO, and provide practical, prescriptive advice to those who are creating or administering new policy.
I have the pleasure of presenting with John Sim, Senior Analyst, Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, DHS and Edward Loughlin, Trial Attorney, EEOC Washington Field Office. The session will be moderated by Steve Gaitten, Director, Digital Programs, MicroPact.
We have some case studies ready to talk through and exercises set to encourage audience participation. We are ready and geared up for a fun and engaging session on social media. To give you a sneak peak at the panel topics:
• Overview of Social Media and EEO in the news
• Why Agencies Use Social Media
• National Labor Relations Board Standing on Social Media
• Government Case Studies
• Engaging activities to stimulate audience participation
Again, I am really looking forward to the event, and excited to connect with government employees. Be sure to keep an eye out for a follow up post.
Pat, I caught a preview of the topics you will be covering along with the rest of the panel. It looks like it will be a great presentation. Looking forward to it.
Hey Bob, thanks for the comment. Excited to be presenting – let’s make sure to connect at the event!
And along these lines, public comments are due on EEOC’s Strategic Plan by 9/18. I’ve started a separate blog for that topic specifically.
Pat, in case you missed it, here’s an article from Bloomberg/BNA which may be of interest:
EEOC Lawyer Advises Careful Navigation of Issues in the Workplace
“Social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter can provide recruiters, employers, and human resources professionals with a lot of useful tools and information but also present a significant risk, Edward Loughlin, a trial attorney with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s Washington, D.C., field office, told attorneys attending a workshop Aug. 24.”