Izvestia: The Ministry of Labor has developed amendments prohibiting officials from criticizing management on the Internet

The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection has developed amendments that it plans to make to the document “General principles of official conduct of civil servants.” According to them, civil servants will be prohibited from criticizing the leadership on the Internet and speaking out about political parties even during non-working hours. This was reported by Izvestia with reference to sources in the department.

As the Ministry of Labor explained to the publication, the amendments are related to the presidential decree of April 2016 on combating corruption. The agency was tasked with coming up with ideas to “ensure day-to-day monitoring of compliance with ethical standards and rules.”

Persons holding high positions in the public service, public figures serving their country, are simply obliged to be impeccable in terms of morality - they personify state power.

We must remember that civil service is both an honor and a colossal responsibility to represent one or another government structure or authority. And not only during working hours, but also outside it, as well as in the virtual space of social networks.

Izvestia's interlocutor

Izvestia’s interlocutor noted that the Ministry of Labor wants not only to create the image of a morally impeccable official, but “to really make him so.” The changes made to the draft are aimed at civil servants ensuring “labor organization, maintaining discipline, applying incentive measures and imposing disciplinary sanctions.”

They intend to prohibit civil servants from leaving statements on the Internet or performing actions that could damage their authority or the reputation of the entire government agency. They will also have to monitor how their subordinates behave on the Internet.

According to the current version of the document “General Principles of Official Conduct of Civil Servants,” an official is obliged to be polite towards citizens and a conscientious employee. Also, civil servants must maintain neutrality in relation to political parties.