Information on conflicting financial interests is frequently sought. Image: JARIRIYAWAT/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffOutside employment and other activities, and financial disclosure requirements are the topics on which federal employees most commonly seek ethical guidance, according to a report from the Office of Government Ethics.
Of the 141 agencies responding to an OGE survey, 95 reported questions from employees regarding outside employment or activities, with 32 of them naming it as the most frequent topic, 30 as the second most frequent and 33 as the third most frequent.
Questions about financial reporting were reported by 89, including 30 for which that was the most frequent topic. Gift acceptance, conflicting financial interests and post-employment restrictions followed in frequency.
Policies about misuse of position, government resources and information were the least frequent topic, named as the top issue by only two. The second-least were questions about impartiality in performing federal duties and the third-least were questions about acceptance of expense reimbursements from non-federal sources.
“The analysis and resolution of conflicts of interests are key to agencies and employees managing and minimizing the risk of ethical failure. A thorough analysis is the first step in ensuring that agencies and employees take appropriate steps to remedy a potential conflict of interest. By resolving potential conflicts before they happen, ethics officials help ensure that their agencies’ decisions are made in the public’s interest and are not unfairly influenced by personal financial interests,” the report says.
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