City Hall employees are being reminded to keep personal activities outside official work hours, following social media reports involving workers allegedly making TikTok videos and engaging in other non-work activities while on duty.
Chief of Staff Kenneth Siasar of the Office of Mayor Nestor Archival said Monday, September 28, that employees are not allowed to engage in activities unrelated to their official functions while they are on duty.
Siasar said he had discussed the matter with the mayor and the city’s Human Resource Development Office after reports surfaced on social media.
“As long as you are within office hours, that is not allowed,” Siasar said.
He noted that employees are using government resources and are expected to perform duties related to their respective offices.
One of the reports involved one or two workers who were allegedly seen making a TikTok video during office hours. Siasar said he went to the office of a city councilor after the workers were identified in a social media post as personnel from the councilor’s office.
The employees concerned were asked to submit Incident Reports, while the councilor’s office conducts its own investigation. The reports will then be forwarded to the city’s Human Resource office for further review.
Siasar said the employees could face corresponding sanctions if the investigation establishes that they violated city government policies.
He did not identify the employees involved or provide details about the specific content of the video.
Siasar said the TikTok video had been taken earlier and involved individuals who were part of a group chat. The material from the group chat was later posted on social media, although the individuals reportedly did not know how it was made public.
Beyond the TikTok report, Siasar said the city is also looking into a separate social media post showing a person smoking while driving a white pickup truck bearing the Cebu City Government logo.
He said the Human Resource office had been consulted and that smoking while using a government vehicle is prohibited. However, the city has yet to establish whether the vehicle belongs directly to the city government or is among government vehicles assigned to barangays.
Siasar also reiterated that city employees are already oriented by the Human Resource Development Office not to engage in activities unrelated to their official functions during working hours.
These include playing, smoking, gambling, and dancing while on duty.
He clarified, however, that employees may use their designated break or lunch periods for relaxation or personal activities.
Siasar said the city’s mental wellness and mental health programs also remain available to employees, but these should not interfere with official working hours.
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