The Hatch Act Illustrated and Explained

All Federal employees must avoid violations of the Hatch Act (the law imposing limitations on the political activities of Federal employees). Diligently observing the Hatch Act and Federal Ethics rules help to maintain the public’s trust in government. This short video provides a quick overview of the Hatch Act as well as practical advice about social media usage that employees can use right away to avoid violations of the Hatch Act. Providing readily available, long-distance learning to USDA employees is part of the core functioning of the USDA Office of Ethics as we help employees “Do right and feed everyone.” We are making this animated video publicly available to assist Federal employees across all Executive Branch agencies. If you are a USDA employee and have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the USDA Office of Ethics at www.ethics.usda.gov and be sure to download the innovative and free USDA Ethics App by searching “USDA Ethics” on any smartphone. While you are on the USDA Ethics App, be sure to play the Ethics “Test Your Knowledge” Game to see how well you know these important rules.