Free Civil Service FAQ Employee Ethical Conduct Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A civil service employee is offered a ticket to a professional sporting event, valued at $150, by a contractor whose firm has a multi-million dollar contract with the employee's agency. Under the Standards of Ethical Conduct, which of the following is the most appropriate action for the employee to take?
- Accept the ticket, as it is a one-time gesture of goodwill.
- Decline the ticket, as it is from a prohibited source and exceeds the nominal value limit. (Correct answer)
- Accept the ticket but report it on their annual financial disclosure form.
- Decline the ticket but suggest the contractor donate it to a charity auction.
Correct answer: Decline the ticket, as it is from a prohibited source and exceeds the nominal value limit.
According to the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch (5 C.F.R. Part 2635), an employee may not solicit or accept any gift from a prohibited source. A prohibited source includes any person or entity that does business with the employee's agency. The ticket, valued at $150, far exceeds the general exception for unsolicited gifts of $20 or less per occasion. Therefore, the employee must decline the gift.
Question 2: An employee at a federal agency uses their government-issued computer and official email account during their lunch break to send out invitations and manage RSVPs for a personal, non-work-related fundraising event they are organizing. Which ethical principle does this action most likely violate?
- The duty to disclose waste, fraud, and abuse.
- The prohibition against conflicts of financial interest.
- The requirement to obtain prior approval for outside activities.
- The prohibition against using public office for private gain. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The prohibition against using public office for private gain.
The ethical principles for federal employees prohibit the use of public office for private gain. This includes using government property, such as computers and email systems, for activities other than those authorized for official government business. Organizing a personal fundraising event constitutes a private gain, even if for a charitable cause, and using government resources for this purpose is a misuse of position.
Question 3: A mid-level civil service employee is considering taking a part-time job on weekends with a company that is in the same industry their agency regulates. The job does not involve any representation before the government. What is the employee's primary ethical obligation before accepting this employment?
- They must resign from their civil service position to avoid any conflict.
- They only need to ensure the outside work does not interfere with their official work schedule.
- They must seek prior written approval from their agency's ethics official. (Correct answer)
- They can accept the job without notification as long as their salary is below a certain threshold.
Correct answer: They must seek prior written approval from their agency's ethics official.
Federal employees are generally required to seek prior approval from their agency before engaging in outside employment, especially when it could create a real or apparent conflict of interest. Since the company is in an industry regulated by the employee's agency, there is a high potential for conflict. The employee must not engage in outside employment that conflicts with their official duties and responsibilities. Obtaining clearance from an ethics official is a critical step to ensure compliance.
Question 4: Which of the following situations would require a federal employee to recuse themselves from a particular matter to avoid a conflict of interest?
- Serving on a panel that is awarding a grant to a university from which the employee graduated 20 years ago.
- Reviewing a contract proposal from a company where the employee's spouse is a senior executive. (Correct answer)
- Participating in a policy decision that will broadly affect an industry where the employee owns a widely diversified mutual fund.
- Recommending a former subordinate for a position in another federal agency.
Correct answer: Reviewing a contract proposal from a company where the employee's spouse is a senior executive.
A federal employee is prohibited from participating personally and substantially in any particular matter that would have a direct and predictable effect on their own financial interests or the financial interests of their spouse. A spouse's position as a senior executive creates a clear imputed financial interest, requiring the employee to disqualify themselves from the matter to avoid a conflict of interest.
Question 5: A senior executive service (SES) employee leaves their federal position to work for a private consulting firm. For one year after their departure, what specific restriction applies to their interactions with their former agency?
- They are permanently banned from communicating with any federal agency on any matter.
- They may not communicate with or appear before their former agency with the intent to influence any matter on behalf of another person. (Correct answer)
- They can freely communicate with their former agency as long as they did not personally work on the specific matter in question.
- They are only restricted from working on contracts that were awarded during their final year of service.
Correct answer: They may not communicate with or appear before their former agency with the intent to influence any matter on behalf of another person.
Post-employment ethics rules impose a one-year "cooling-off" period for former senior employees. During this year, they are prohibited from making any communication to or appearance before any employee of their former agency with the intent to influence official action on behalf of anyone else. This restriction applies regardless of whether they worked on the matter while in government service.
Question 6: A civil service employee becomes aware of what they reasonably believe to be a significant waste of government funds in a program managed by their office. According to the Principles of Ethical Conduct, what is the employee's responsibility?
- To gather conclusive evidence of the waste before taking any action.
- To discuss the matter only with colleagues they trust.
- To disclose the information to the appropriate authorities. (Correct answer)
- To address the issue directly with the person responsible for the program.
Correct answer: To disclose the information to the appropriate authorities.
One of the 14 Principles of Ethical Conduct for Federal Employees is the duty to "disclose waste, fraud, abuse, and corruption to appropriate authorities." Appropriate authorities typically include the agency's Inspector General (OIG) or the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The employee has an obligation to report their reasonable belief of mismanagement.
Free Civil Service FAQ Employee Ethical Conduct Questions and Answers 1
A civil service employee is offered a ticket to a professional sporting event, valued at $150, by a contractor whose firm has a multi-million dollar contract with the employee's agency.
Under the Standards of Ethical Conduct, which of the following is the most appropriate action for the employee to take?