Civil Service FAQ Employee Conduct and Ethics Questions and Answers 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A civil servant discovers that a colleague is accepting small gifts from a contractor bidding on a government contract. What is the most appropriate action?
- Ignore it since the gifts are small
- Report it to the agency's ethics officer or inspector general (Correct answer)
- Confront the colleague directly and demand they stop
- Accept similar gifts to avoid appearing judgmental
Correct answer: Report it to the agency's ethics officer or inspector general
Accepting gifts from contractors can constitute a conflict of interest and must be reported to the appropriate ethics authority regardless of gift value.
Question 2: Under the U.S. Office of Government Ethics rules, what is the general dollar threshold for gifts a federal employee may accept from a prohibited source?
- $0 — no gifts allowed under any circumstance
- $20 per occasion, not exceeding $50 per year from one source (Correct answer)
- $50 per occasion, not exceeding $100 per year from one source
- $100 per occasion with supervisor approval
Correct answer: $20 per occasion, not exceeding $50 per year from one source
Federal regulations generally permit acceptance of unsolicited gifts valued at $20 or less per occasion, with a $50 annual aggregate limit from any single prohibited source.
Question 3: Which of the following best describes 'misuse of position' in the civil service context?
- Using government resources for official duties during work hours
- Using one's official title or authority to benefit a private business interest (Correct answer)
- Requesting overtime compensation for authorized emergency work
- Attending a job-related training conference on government time
Correct answer: Using one's official title or authority to benefit a private business interest
Misuse of position occurs when an employee exploits their official role, title, or authority for personal or private financial gain outside official duties.
Question 4: A federal employee is offered a part-time consulting job with a private firm that does business with their agency. What must the employee do before accepting?
- Accept immediately since outside employment is always permitted
- Consult only with a personal attorney
- Obtain prior written approval from their agency's ethics official (Correct answer)
- Notify their direct supervisor verbally and proceed if no objection is raised within 30 days
Correct answer: Obtain prior written approval from their agency's ethics official
Federal employees must obtain prior written approval from their agency ethics official before accepting outside employment that could create a conflict of interest.
Question 5: What does the Hatch Act primarily restrict for most federal civil service employees?
- Accepting promotions while under performance review
- Engaging in partisan political activity while on duty or in a federal facility (Correct answer)
- Taking unpaid leave to campaign for a family member
- Discussing policy disagreements with supervisors
Correct answer: Engaging in partisan political activity while on duty or in a federal facility
The Hatch Act prohibits most federal employees from engaging in partisan political activity while on duty, in uniform, in a government vehicle, or inside a federal facility.
Question 6: An employee learns through their official duties that a public company is about to lose a major federal contract. Using that information to sell the company's stock before the announcement is an example of:
- Smart personal financial planning
- Insider trading and a serious ethics violation (Correct answer)
- Acceptable conduct if the employee's portfolio is in a blind trust
- Permitted activity if the stock value is under $1,000
Correct answer: Insider trading and a serious ethics violation
Using non-public government information obtained through official duties for personal financial gain constitutes insider trading and violates federal ethics laws.
Civil Service FAQ Employee Conduct and Ethics Questions and Answers 2
A civil servant discovers that a colleague is accepting small gifts from a contractor bidding on a government contract.
What is the most appropriate action?