The Office of Government Ethics has issued a notice reminding federal employees that ethics laws still apply while the government is in stasis.
OGE called on agencies to remind their employees that they remain employees of the federal government during furlough periods and must continue to comply with all of the ethics laws and regulations, including criminal conflict of interest laws and the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch, as well as any agency-specific supplemental standards of ethical conduct.
It is particularly important for employees to understand that ethics provisions regarding outside activities, including provisions regarding outside employment, will continue to apply to them while they are in a furlough status, OGE said.
