BBC Professional Standards and Ethics 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A coworker asks you to sign their timesheet because they forgot to clock in but swear they were present. What is the most ethical response?
- Sign it since you believe they were there
- Refuse and advise them to speak with a supervisor (Correct answer)
- Ask another coworker to sign instead
- Ignore the request without responding
Correct answer: Refuse and advise them to speak with a supervisor
Signing a timesheet you did not witness is falsification of records, so directing the coworker to their supervisor is the proper action.
Question 2: Which behavior best demonstrates accountability in a clerical role?
- Blaming system errors for missed deadlines
- Acknowledging a mistake and correcting it promptly (Correct answer)
- Waiting for a supervisor to notice errors before acting
- Delegating error correction to a junior colleague
Correct answer: Acknowledging a mistake and correcting it promptly
Accountability means owning mistakes and taking corrective action without waiting to be directed.
Question 3: You receive a personal package at your work address. Under most county workplace policies, this is:
- Acceptable if done infrequently
- Prohibited because it misuses county resources and address (Correct answer)
- Fine as long as you pay for shipping
- Encouraged to reduce home delivery theft
Correct answer: Prohibited because it misuses county resources and address
Using government office addresses for personal deliveries violates policies against misuse of public resources.
Question 4: An employee witnesses a supervisor accepting a gift from a vendor. The FIRST step should be to:
- Confront the supervisor publicly
- Report the observation through the appropriate ethics or compliance channel (Correct answer)
- Tell coworkers so they are aware
- Do nothing unless asked directly
Correct answer: Report the observation through the appropriate ethics or compliance channel
Potential ethics violations should be reported through official channels such as an ethics hotline or compliance officer.
Question 5: What does 'conflict of interest' mean in a county workplace context?
- Disagreeing with a coworker about a task
- A personal interest that could improperly influence an official decision (Correct answer)
- Working on two projects at the same time
- Having a different opinion than your supervisor
Correct answer: A personal interest that could improperly influence an official decision
A conflict of interest arises when personal relationships or financial interests could bias an employee's official duties.
Question 6: When handling sensitive personnel files, a clerical employee should:
- Leave files on the desk for easy access during the day
- Store them in a locked cabinet and limit access to authorized staff (Correct answer)
- Share contents verbally with trusted coworkers
- Scan them to a personal email for backup
Correct answer: Store them in a locked cabinet and limit access to authorized staff
Personnel records are confidential and must be secured in locked storage accessible only to those with a legitimate need.
Question 7: A clerk is asked by a manager to alter a date on an official document to avoid a missed deadline. The clerk should:
- Alter the date since the manager approved it
- Refuse because altering official records is fraudulent regardless of who requests it (Correct answer)
- Alter the date but document the manager's request
- Ask a coworker to make the change instead
Correct answer: Refuse because altering official records is fraudulent regardless of who requests it
Altering official government documents constitutes fraud, and no managerial request makes it permissible.
BBC Professional Standards and Ethics 2
A coworker asks you to sign their timesheet because they forgot to clock in but swear they were present.
What is the most ethical response?