Ethics, Conduct, and Equal Employment Opportunity
Ethics, Conduct, and Equal Employment Opportunity
This domain tests two related bodies of rules: the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch (5 CFR part 2635, with the criminal conflict statute at 18 U.S.C. 208) and the equal employment opportunity and anti-reprisal framework.
Core rules and concepts
- Gifts. An employee may accept a gift from an outside source worth $20 or less per occasion, up to $50 from the same source in a calendar year, and may never accept a gift from a prohibited source or given because of official position. Never solicit.
- Conflicts of interest. Recuse from any matter affecting your own financial interest or that of a spouse, minor child, or outside employer.
- Misuse of position. Government property, time, and subordinate staff are not for private gain.
- Political activity. The Hatch Act (5 U.S.C. 7323) restricts partisan political activity for federal employees, with further limits for certain security and enforcement personnel.
- Whistleblowing and reprisal. Protected disclosures under 5 U.S.C. 2302(b)(8) may not be retaliated against; complaints go to the Office of Special Counsel.
- EEO. Federal applicants and employees must contact an EEO counselor within 45 calendar days of the alleged discriminatory action, then file a formal complaint within 15 days of receiving the notice of right to file. Reasonable accommodation requests are processed promptly, and harassment reports are acted on immediately.
Worked example
A contractor offers a GS-9 administrative specialist a $30 lunch at a restaurant to thank her for expediting an invoice. She may not accept the meal as a gift, because $30 exceeds the $20 per-occasion limit and the contractor is a prohibited source given her role in the invoice process. Correct response: decline politely, or pay for her own meal, and disclose the offer to her supervisor if there is any indication of an attempt to influence official action. The reasoning: the per-occasion and annual limits are caps, not permissions, and a prohibited source narrows the analysis further.
Traps that cost marks
- Treating the $20 limit as available for any source, including contractors.
- Missing the 45-day counselor contact deadline when a question describes a delayed complaint.
- Failing to recognize reprisal as an independent violation.