Federal Manager's Daily Report

For a current employee’s first appointment to a supervisory position the newly required ethics notices differ somewhat from those applying to those newly hired in general, the Office of Government Ethics has said.

“If the employee has previously served in a supervisory position in an agency, issuance of the notice is a model practice, but is not mandatory. For covered employees, the notice must be issued within the first year of the employee’s appointment to the supervisory position, which tracks the time period for supervisory training under OPM’s regulation,” guidance says.

The notice must include contact information for the ethics office, a link to the principles of ethical conduct, and the following statement, which is drawn directly from government ethics rules:

“Every supervisor in the executive branch has a heightened personal responsibility for advancing government ethics. It is imperative that supervisors serve as models of ethical behavior for subordinates. Supervisors have a responsibility to help ensure that subordinates are aware of their ethical obligations under the Standards of Conduct and that subordinates know how to contact agency ethics officials. Supervisors are also responsible for working with agency ethics officials to help resolve conflicts of interest and enforce government ethics laws and regulations, including those requiring certain employees to file financial disclosure reports. In addition, supervisors are responsible, when requested, for assisting agency ethics officials in evaluating potential conflicts of interest and identifying positions subject to financial disclosure requirements.”

There is no particular required format for the notice. It can be issued, for example, in a letter, memorandum, or email message, although in any case it must be approved by the agency’s ethics office.