Ethical and Professional Conduct Flashcards

You learn that a colleague is misusing their government computer to run a small personal business. What is the most appropriate response?

Answer: Report the misuse through the appropriate internal channel, such as a supervisor or ethics office

Misuse of government resources must be reported through proper channels to uphold agency integrity.

A supervisor pressures you to falsify performance data in a report to make the department look better. You should:

Answer: Refuse and document the request, then report it to the appropriate ethics or oversight office

Falsifying official records is illegal and unethical; it must be refused and reported regardless of who requests it.

While reviewing applications for a grant, you realize one applicant is a close friend. What should you do?

Answer: Recuse yourself from reviewing that application and disclose the conflict to your supervisor

Recusing yourself from decisions involving personal relationships prevents actual or perceived conflicts of interest.

You overhear two colleagues discussing confidential personnel information about a coworker in a public hallway. You should:

Answer: Remind them that confidential information should not be discussed in public spaces

Confidential personnel information must be protected, and colleagues should be reminded of appropriate handling.

You complete your assigned tasks early and have free time remaining in the workday. The most professional response is to:

Answer: Ask your supervisor for additional tasks or use the time for job-related professional development

Using remaining work time productively demonstrates professionalism and commitment to your role.

A member of the public becomes verbally abusive with you while you are assisting them. The best course of action is to:

Answer: Remain calm, set clear limits on acceptable behavior, and involve a supervisor if needed

Remaining calm and setting professional boundaries protects both parties while maintaining service standards.

You notice that a new colleague is repeatedly bypassing a required approval step in a workflow. They say it saves time. You should:

Answer: Report the issue to your supervisor or raise it with the colleague directly

Required approval steps exist for compliance and accountability reasons, and bypassing them must be corrected.