1. Welcome to Ethics Training!
“The reputation of a thousand years is determined by the conduct of one hour.”
– Japanese proverb

2. Training Objective
Clear Understanding of the Ethics in Public Service Act
Update on Recent Rules Changes
Resources for questions

3. Ethics
The embodiment of those values that the person or organization feels are important…, and spell our proper conduct and appropriate action.
- Merriam Webster

4. Ethical Choices
What you find is that the tough ethical choices are not between good and evil, but rather between two goods:
Truth versus Loyalty
Individual versus Community
Short-term versus Long-term
Justice versus Mercy

5. Ethical Principals Objectivity Selflessness Stewardship Transparency
Integrity
Selflessness. We act in the public’s interest and avoid making any decision in order to gain benefit for ourselves or other persons.
Integrity. We do not place ourselves under any financial or special obligation to outside individuals or groups that may influence us in the performance of our public duties.
Objectivity. In carrying out public business, our choices should be made on the merits.
Accountability. We are accountable for our actions and decisions and agree to accept whatever public scrutiny is appropriate to our position.
Openness. The public has a right to know the reasons for our actions and decisions. We should restrict information only when the wider public interest demands we need to.
Honesty. We have a duty to declare any private interests that relate to our public duties and to take steps to resolve any conflict in a way that protects the public’s interest.

6. Objectivity
Public employees must place the public’s interest before any private interest or outside obligation - choices need to made on the merits.
RCW , Activities incompatible with public duties
RCW , Financial interests in transactions
RCW , Assisting in transactions

7. Conflict of Interest
A conflict of interest occurs when you have a private interest that may benefit from your actions, or when a private interest could interfere with official duties
An interest need not be financial to create a conflict of interest
Most conflicts result from the exercise of discretionary authority
Have participants list those types of issues which they believe create conflicts of interest. Note on flip chart.

8. Dilemma
You are a health inspector with a partnership interest in a local restaurant, and are assigned to perform an inspection of this same restaurant.
Can you conduct the inspection? What actions should you take?

9. Dilemma
A state employee serves on the board of directors for a non-profit organization. The non-profit bids on a contract from the employee’s agency. The employee serves on the review panel that will select the successful contractor.
Can the employee serve on the review panel even though there is no personal benefit?

10. Dilemma
You enforce business license requirements. You discover that a local business, with with you have a private legal dispute, is overdue in paying its taxes.
What would you do?

11. Selflessness
Public employees should not make decisions in order to gain financial or other benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends.
RCW , Special privileges
RCW , Gifts
RCW , Limitations on gifts
RCW , Employment after public service

12. Use of State Position
A state officer or employee may not use his or her state position to secure special privileges or to grant exemptions to benefit himself, herself, family members, or other persons.

13. Gifts General rules Those items that are not gifts
Those items that are gifts, but not subject to the $50 limitation
Rebuttable presumption these do not influence
The only items that may be accepted by employees who contract or regulate

14. Post-state Employment
Former state officers or employees may not benefit from state employment
Contract restriction
Beneficial interest restriction
Offers of employment
Prohibition against participating in previous state transactions
Situations are fact-specific

15. Dilemma
You receive a plaque and a $100 check from the Institute of Government Financial Managers for your many contributions to the field.
Can you accept the plaque and the check?

16. Dilemma
You supervise a contract with ABC Audits. ABC is sponsoring a regional conference and tells you that if you attend, ABC will waive your conference fees.
Can you accept the waiver of conference fees?

17. Dilemma
You are a professor for a state university or community college and a publisher sends you a textbook (solicited or unsolicited) for evaluation. After completing your evaluation, you take the textbook home and sell it to a friend for $25.
Is this activity a violation of the Ethics in Public Service Act?

18. Textbooks
On September 12, 2003, the Executive Ethics Board issued Advisory Opinion that prohibits selling textbooks for personal profit. There are several options for disposing of textbooks in lieu of selling them.
State supported institutions of higher education may want to consider adopting policies or procedures that assist faculty members in exercising these options. For example, faculty may dispose of textbooks and other publications by giving them to the institution, to a charity or educational foundation, or in accordance with agency surplus property procedures.

19. Ethical Habits “A long habit of not thinking a thing
wrong gives it the superficial appearance of being right.”
–Thomas Paine

20. Stewardship Public employees have a duty to
conserve public resources and funds
against misuse and abuse.
RCW , Special privileges
RCW , Use of persons, money, or property for private gain
RCW , Use of public resources for political campaigns
WAC

21. Questions to Ask Yourself
Will my use of state resources result in added costs or any other disadvantage to the state?
Am I using this resource in order to avoid personal expense?
Am I confident that my use of state resources will not compromise the security or integrity of state information or software?
Are state resources being used for purposes that could be embarrassing for my agency if reported publicly?

22. The Use Zones Public employees have a duty to
conserve public resources and funds
against misuse and abuse.
Green Zone – Official Duties
Yellow Zone – Personal Use Under Limited Circumstances
Red Zone – Prohibited Uses

23. The Green Zone
Any Use that is Reasonably Related to Your Official Duties
Combined Fund Campaign

24. The Yellow Zone Personal Use OK Under Limited Circumstances
Really de minimis exceptions
There is little or no cost to the state;
There is no interference with the performance of official duties;
The use is brief in duration and frequency;
The use does not distract from the conduct of state business; and
The use does not disrupt other state employees and does not obligate them to make a personal use of state resources; and

25. The Red Zone Prohibited Uses Outside business interests
Commercial uses
Illegal or unprofessional activities
Political activities, including lobbying

26. Dilemma
You send s to your friend’s home computer from your state computer regarding personal plans for the weekend.
Is this appropriate stewardship of state resources?

27. Dilemma
You ran across an article in TIME magazine that you want to share with friends and make several copies using the office’s copier.
Is this appropriate stewardship of state resources?

28. Dilemma
You send an to your senator opposing the confirmation of a nominee for federal office.
Is this appropriate stewardship of state resources?

29. Dilemma Your supervisor approves the use of a state
computer to do course work for a class that
will enhance your skills.
Is this appropriate stewardship of state resources?

30. Dilemma
You send a brief or make a brief, local call to check on your kids.
Is this appropriate stewardship of state resources?

31. Dilemma
You access the Internet during a lunch break to check on your stock portfolio and transfer assets to a different fund.
Is this appropriate stewardship of state resources?

32. Quote
“A perfect value consists in doing without witness all that we could have done in front of the entire world”
- Nobel Laureate Gabriela Mistral

33. Transparency
Public employees must practice open and accountable government. They should be as open as possible about their decisions and actions, and protect truly confidential information.
RCW , Confidential information

34. Confidential Information
Standards that protect confidential
information:
Outside employment, business, or professional activities
Disclosure for personal gain or benefit
Disclosure to unauthorized person

35. Public Records Standards for disclosure:
May not intentionally act to conceal a record if under a personal obligation to release the record.
May apply to communications

36. Integrity
Employees in public service should not place themselves under any financial or other obligation to outside individuals or organizations that might influence them in the performance of their duties.
RCW , Activities incompatible with public duties
RCW , Compensation for official duties or nonperformance
RCW , Compensation for outside activities
RCW , Honoraria

37. Honoraria Honorarium defined Agency approval required
May not be approved if donor:
Is expected to seek contractual relations
Is regulated by the agency
Is reasonably expected to seek or oppose adoption of rules or policy changes by your agency

38. Outside Compensation
Work must be bona fide and actually performed; and,
Not related to a contract or grant you supervise;
Comply with agency policies on outside employment;
Not be compensated by anyone you contract with or regulate;
Not related to a contract or grant you authorize;
Cannot involve the disclosure of confidential information.

39. Quote
“If … you can’t be a good example, then you’ll just have to be a horrible warning.”
- Catherine Aird

40. Executive Ethics Board
Interprets and enforces the ethics law
Issues advisory opinions
Reviews agency ethics policies
Investigates and hears complaints
Imposes sanctions for violations
Disciplinary action also may be taken by the agency

41. Complaint Status

42. Good People - Bad Choices
(1998–2002) - 89 of Cases involving sanctions
In % of cases involved sanctions
Civil Penalties $123,900 - $1393 average
Suspended $491 average
Investigative Costs $41, $462 average
Agency Restitution $16,527

43. Good People - Bad Choices
Deadlines or performance goals
Lack of resources, human or otherwise
Pressures to produce and get the job done
The action is not really illegal or unethical
The action is in the individual’s or organization’s best interests
The action will never be discovered
Fear of authority

44. Briefly Daily decisions will guide us in crisis
Values can be instilled
Subordinates seek standards
Choice is often between two “goods”
“Only a leader of courageous ethical standards can earn the trust of subordinates”

45. Interventions Establish workplace expectations
Brief common ethical problems
Publicize noteworthy role models
Routinely raise potential ethics issues
Review commitment to ethics annually
Attend to the ethical treatment of others