1.3: Awareness
Increase employee awareness of their ethics responsibilities. Other Information:
While employees bear ultimate responsibility for complying with ethics laws and regulations and ensuring the public’s trust,
OGE has a leadership responsibility to ensure workers are aware of and understand these responsibilities. The long term outcome
of this objective is to have employees incorporate ethics into their decision-making when carrying out their official responsibilities. Strategies
for Objective 1.3: Develop educational support for various sectors of the executive branch workforce. One of the real strengths
of the executive branch ethics program is the systematic training of employees on the regulatory standards and conflict of
interest statutes. Once a year, agencies are required to provide training to the highest level officials. New employees
must be made aware of the standards of conduct when entering Government service. Educating public servants about conflict-of-interest
standards is a key component of preventing conflicts of interest. OGE will use information collected from agencies to identify
the subject areas where OGE support of employee training is most useful. Once identified, OGE will consult with agencies
to determine the most effective and practical methods for providing appropriate support in those areas. Encourage agencies
to demonstrate consistency between ethics rules and agency practices by utilizing administrative sanctions to enforce laws
and regulations. Research shows that, without appropriate follow up on violations, employees may perceive that leadership
is not committed to maintaining an ethical workplace. Demonstrated enforcement of the ethics rules complements the training
employees receive on the rules themselves. OGE will use data collected on administrative sanctions to reinforce the significance
of the ethics program and encourage agencies to pursue administrative sanctions where appropriate. Additionally, OGE will
use the information to effectively focus education and outreach efforts.
Indicator(s):
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