Ignoring such conduct is not optional and may subject the supervisor or manager to disciplinary action. However, an employee may elect to create a record of his actions by providing written notice to a supervisor or other appropriate official. FedSmith Polls (c) Agency ethics official refers to the designated agency ethics official or to the alternate designated agency ethics official, referred to in 2638.202(b) of this chapter, and to any deputy ethics official, described in 2638.204 of this chapter, who has been delegated authority to assist in carrying out the responsibilities of the designated agency ethics official. INTEGRITY For purposes of this subpart, the following definitions shall apply: (a) Gift has the meaning set forth in 2635.203(b). The employee may not accept the gift of the evening of entertainment. However, an employee of the FLRA could not give the same presentations for compensation. (iv) A position in which a member of the foreign service is serving that does not require advice and consent of the Senate. However, for purposes of applying the $50 aggregate limitation, the employee would not have to include the value of a birthday present received from his cousin, who is employed by the same corporation, if he can accept the birthday present under the exception at paragraph (b) of this section for gifts based on a personal relationship. Official websites use .gov The Secretary may accept the honorary degree only if an agency ethics official determines in writing that the timing of the award of the degree would not cause a reasonable person to question the Secretary's impartiality in a matter affecting the university. (b) Consistent with the values listed in paragraph (a) of this section, VA must promote and ensure responsible practices whenever veteran data is accessed, shared, or used by VA or its partners. Veteran data is accessed, shared, and used for many purposes which are developing at an unparalleled pace. A well-known university located in the United States wishes to give an honorary degree to the Secretary of Labor. These grants will provide funding for students and teachers around the country to learn about, memorialize, and share the stories of Veterans interred in NCA cemeteries. 7353). 1001). The restriction in paragraph (a)(2)(i)(E)(1) of this section applies only during the current appointment of a special Government employee; except that if the special Government employee has not served or is not expected to serve for more than 60 days during the first year or any subsequent one year period of that appointment, the restriction applies only to particular matters involving specific parties in which the special Government employee has participated or is participating personally and substantially. Because the subject does not relate to his official duties, the Director may accept compensation for the lecture series. XVaJ~HGGCZGD b ;8a$fF) U T(A52d*:0|Xfi 8> Sc3$K&&L?2`hk#[+Q7!Q~,+A? CT11 X
(2) An employee who is considering whether acceptance of a gift would lead a reasonable person with knowledge of the relevant facts to question his or her integrity or impartiality may consider, among other relevant factors, whether: (ii) The timing of the gift creates the appearance that the donor is seeking to influence an official action; (iii) The gift was provided by a person who has interests that may be substantially affected by the performance or nonperformance of the employee's official duties; and. The eCFR is displayed with paragraphs split and indented to follow (b) Accessible. FAR). (iii) The spouse or one other guest of the presenting employee on any day when the employee is presenting, provided that others in attendance will generally be accompanied by a spouse or other guest, the offer of free attendance for the spouse or other guest is unsolicited, and the agency designee, orally or in writing, has authorized the presenting employee to accept; An employee of the Department of the Treasury who is assigned to participate in a panel discussion of economic issues as part of a one-day conference may accept the sponsor's waiver of the conference fee. Even though the consulting arrangement would not be a conflicting activity within the meaning of 2635.802, it would create an appearance that the employee had used his official position to obtain the compensated outside business opportunity and it would create the further appearance of using his public office for the private gain of the manufacturer. (2) A person contacted by the employee's agent or other intermediary for the purpose of seeking to establish an employment relationship if the agent identifies the prospective employer to the employee. You can learn more about the process (c) Outside employment and other outside activities of an employee must also comply with applicable provisions set forth in other subparts of this part and in supplemental agency regulations. font size, https://portal.ct.gov/CHRO/Education-and-Outreach/Employees/Code-of-Ethics-for-, https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/Ethics/Guides/Currently-Posted-Guides/Public-Officials-, and-State-Employees-Guide-Rev-November-2021.pdf, negatively reflect on the DVA or conflict with the Departments mission of Serving Those Who Served.. She is invited to speak about the technique by a representative of an organization that will be substantially affected by a regulation on land management which the employee is in the process of drafting for the Forest Service. (b) Employees who have questions about the application of this part or any supplemental agency regulations to particular situations should seek advice from an agency ethics official. The agency designee cannot authorize the Deputy Director to participate on the panel under the authority of this section since the Deputy Director is prohibited by criminal statute, 18 U.S.C. Employees shall park vehicles only in designated areas. A military officer has accepted a job with a defense contractor that will begin six months after his retirement from military service. Before sending his resume to a lab which is a subcontractor under the VA contract, the employee should recuse from participation in the audit. Additional work rules or policies may be established by the Commissioner to meet special requirements of the DVA as circumstances require. As such, although acceptance of the gift may be permissible under 2635.204(a), the employee decides to decline the gift. Destruction may be carried out by physical destruction or by permanently discarding the T-shirt by placing it in the trash. The employee's agency is paying for her travel expenses, including her airfare. They describe the organization's culture and character, and serve as the foundation for the way VA employees should interact with each other, as well as with people outside the organization. (a) Details to other agencies. Any supervisor or manager who receives a complaint about prohibited harassment or other forms of discrimination or who believes that someone is engaging in such conduct, is mandated to report it to Ashley Burke or Bethanne Watts. An employee of the Bureau of Indian Affairs who has announced her intention to retire is approached by tribal representatives concerning a possible consulting contract with the tribe. Registration Information; It includes but is not limited to personal services as an officer, director, employee, agent, attorney, consultant, contractor, general partner, or trustee. Implementing regulations are contained in 2636.305 through 2636.307 of this chapter. OPM Issues Final Rule Regarding Compensatory Time Off for Religious Observances. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE. The skybox tickets provided to the employee do not have a face value. Regulation Y Navigate by entering citations or phrases The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently published a Code of Integrity, which sets the ethical standards and obligations of every employee in VAs Veterans Health Administration (VHA). For an employee who is subject to a leave system, attendance at the event will be on the employee's own time or, if authorized by the employee's agency, on excused absence pursuant to applicable guidelines for granting such absence, or otherwise without charge to the employee's leave account. In addition to those opportunities and benefits excluded from the definition of a gift by 2635.203(b)(4), an employee may accept: (1) A reduction or waiver of the fees for membership or other fees for participation in organization activities offered to all Government employees or all uniformed military personnel by professional organizations if the only restrictions on membership relate to professional qualifications; and. The delivery of exceptional customer experience is the responsibility of all VA employees and will be guided by VA's Core Values and Characteristics. Where the agency designee determines that the employee's participation should not be authorized, the employee will be disqualified from participation in the matter in accordance with paragraph (e) of this section. the hierarchy of the document. Employees shall turn off a vehicle's engine, remove the keys from the ignition, and take the keys when leaving the vehicle. (4) Consultation and notification regarding waivers. Factors which may be taken into consideration include: (1) The nature of the relationship involved; (2) The effect that resolution of the matter would have upon the financial interests of the person involved in the relationship; (3) The nature and importance of the employee's role in the matter, including the extent to which the employee is called upon to exercise discretion in the matter; (5) The difficulty of reassigning the matter to another employee; and. An employee of the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) is auditing the overhead accounts of an Army contractor. Official Time One day, the individual, whose employer continues to serve as a Peace Corps contractor, contacts the employee to offer him a pair of concert tickets worth $30 apiece. 7342, however, may permit the acceptance of honorary degrees in some circumstances. 643). The employee must promptly complete the authorized disposition of the gift. Based on consideration of all relevant circumstances, the agency designee might determine, however, that it is in the interest of the Government for the employee to pass on a routine filing by the particular brokerage house. (1) Awards. 423. (c) Discounts and similar benefits. As a farewell party, 12 of her subordinates have decided to take her out to lunch at the Khyber Repast. Background and more details are available in the Notwithstanding any exception provided in this subpart, other than 2635.204(j), an employee may not: (a) Accept a gift in return for being influenced in the performance of an official act; (b) Use, or permit the use of, the employee's Government position, or any authority associated with public office, to solicit or coerce the offering of a gift; (c) Accept gifts from the same or different sources on a basis so frequent that a reasonable person would be led to believe the employee is using the employee's public office for private gain; A purchasing agent for a Department of Veterans Affairs medical center routinely deals with representatives of pharmaceutical manufacturers who provide information about new company products. (b) Effectiveness. The official used her public office in an attempt to benefit her friend and, in acting as her friend's agent for the purpose of pursuing the export license with the Department of Commerce, may also have violated 18 U.S.C. (13) Employees shall adhere to all laws and regulations that provide equal opportunity for all Americans regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or handicap. The gratuitous payment of $50,000 is an extraordinary payment, since the corporation had not made similar payments to other departing officers. It does not include the solicitation of funds through the media or through either oral remarks, or the contemporaneous dispatch of like items of mass-produced correspondence, if such remarks or correspondence are addressed to a group consisting of many persons, unless it is known to the employee that the solicitation is targeted at subordinates or at persons who are prohibited sources within the meaning of 2635.203(d). The employee is concerned that a reasonable person may question her impartiality in accepting the free lunch, as the timing of the offer indicates that the donor may be seeking to influence an official action and the company has interests that may be substantially affected by the performance or nonperformance of the employee's duties. (c) Fundraising in a personal capacity. Social Security (6) Pension and other benefits resulting from continued participation in an employee welfare and benefits plan maintained by a current or former employer; (7) Anything which is paid for by the Government or secured by the Government under Government contract; An employee at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is assigned to travel away from her duty station to conduct an investigation of a collapse at a construction site. Where an employee is seeking employment within the meaning of 2635.603(b)(1)(ii) or (iii) and is not negotiating for employment, a reasonable person would be likely to question the employee's impartiality if the employee were to participate personally and substantially in a particular matter that, to the employee's knowledge, has a direct and predictable effect on the financial interests of any such prospective employer. 5702, note, regarding frequent flyer miles). State and Local Government Conflict of Interests Act. (b) Definitions. (9) Any gift accepted by the Government under specific statutory authority, including: (i) Travel, subsistence, and related expenses accepted by an agency under the authority of 31 U.S.C. The employee may not accept the cash award because ABC Systems has interests that may be substantially affected by the performance or nonperformance of the employee's official duties.