Section 600.662 Employee Conduct

Section 600

Section 600.662  Employee

Conduct

a)         Standards of Conduct

Employees of

the Office shall obey the rules of conduct of the Office and shall be aware

that the absence of a specific published rule of conduct covering an act

tending to discredit an employee, the Office or the State of Illinois does not

mean the act is condoned or permissible or would not call for, and result in,

disciplinary action.

b)         Conflicts of Interest

1)         General Provisions

No employee

shall violate any law, rule, regulation, policy or standard concerning

conflicts of interest, nor shall any employee engage in any conduct in which

the employee's private interests or involvements are, or may reasonably be

construed to be, in conflict with or detrimental to the objective performance

of his or her official duties and responsibilities.

2)         Disclosure Statement to the Auditor General

A)        The purpose of the Disclosure Statement required by this subsection

(b)(2) is to aid the Auditor General in maintaining the objectivity and

impartiality of the conduct of the activities of the Office and, when a

potential conflict is unavoidable, to provide for the full disclosure of the

facts and circumstances involved.

B)        Disclosure Statements shall be confidential. The Auditor

General shall designate a custodian who shall be responsible for the

safekeeping of Disclosure Statements.  The Auditor General, a Deputy Auditor General,

the custodian, and others designated by the Auditor General on an as-needed

basis may review Disclosure Statements.

C)        Each employee shall file with the custodian a Disclosure

Statement indicating involvements or relationships that could affect the

employee's performance of his or her official duties.

D)        Employees shall file their Disclosure Statements with the

custodian immediately upon employment and shall refile their Statements by May

1 annually

ded

basis may review Disclosure Statements.

C)        Each employee shall file with the custodian a Disclosure

Statement indicating involvements or relationships that could affect the

employee's performance of his or her official duties.

D)        Employees shall file their Disclosure Statements with the

custodian immediately upon employment and shall refile their Statements by May

1 annually.  Employees shall be under a continuing duty to advise the custodian

promptly, in writing, of any change that would affect an answer given on their

current Disclosure Statements or that might affect the objective or efficient

performance of their duties.

c)         Political Activities

1)         Participation in Public Campaigns

An employee

may participate in public campaigns while in the employment of the Office

provided that the employee's official position is not used, shown or advertised

in connection with the campaign and that the employee does not violate any

prohibitions of this subsection (c).

2)         Prohibited Activity

Employees

shall not, at any time, engage in the following actions:

A)        Use, threaten to use, or offer to use the influence or

authority of his or her position to coerce or to persuade any person to follow

any course of political action or to make any contribution to a political

cause.

B)        Use State time, position, money or property for the purposes of

political activity.

C)        Hold an elective or appointive office in any political party or

other organization whose primary function is to promote and encourage the

election of certain individuals to public office.

D)        Participate in or contribute to any public campaign that

involves a candidate who is running for, currently employed by, or on leave

from, an office or agency over which the Auditor General has audit authority.

E)        Hold any elective or appointive office that would require

attention to duties during the Office's working hours

the

election of certain individuals to public office.

D)        Participate in or contribute to any public campaign that

involves a candidate who is running for, currently employed by, or on leave

from, an office or agency over which the Auditor General has audit authority.

E)        Hold any elective or appointive office that would require

attention to duties during the Office's working hours.

d)         Official Conduct

1)         Criticism of Agencies

No employee

shall make use of any information gained in the course of his or her employment

with the Office to publicly criticize any State, local or private agency.

2)         Handling Antagonism or Refusals

When an

employee is faced with a situation in which the agency's representative appears

antagonistic or refuses to release information or documentation, the employee

shall report that fact to his or her supervisor. Employees shall at no time

threaten or coerce any person.

3)         Self-disqualification from Certain Assignments

When an

employee receives an assignment involving a person acting as a representative

for any public or private agency with whom he or she has had business or other

relationships of a nature that might impair, or give the appearance of

impairing, the employee's impartiality or independence, the employee shall

discuss with his or her supervisor the possible need to have the matter

reassigned.

4)         Agencies Under Audit

If an audit

team member is approached about possible employment with an agency under audit,

he or she will notify his or her supervisor promptly. An employee may not

initiate or pursue employment activities with an agency for which the employee

is currently participating in an audit.

5)         Use of Identification

Credentials

issued to employees are for use only in establishing identity or authority in

connection with official duties.  Employees shall not allow the use of their

credentials by any other person

her supervisor promptly. An employee may not

initiate or pursue employment activities with an agency for which the employee

is currently participating in an audit.

5)         Use of Identification

Credentials

issued to employees are for use only in establishing identity or authority in

connection with official duties.  Employees shall not allow the use of their

credentials by any other person.

e)         Use of State Time, Position and Property

1)         Personal Use Prohibited

Employees are

forbidden to use State time, position or property for personal purposes.

2)         Protection and Inspection of Property

Employees have

a responsibility to protect and conserve all State property. Consistent with

applicable laws, the Office retains the right to control or inspect property

that it owns or maintains, including, but not limited to, items such as desks,

lockers, desk and cabinet drawers, vehicles, and computers.

3)         Liability for Damage or Loss

Employees may

be held financially liable for damage to or loss of State property resulting

from their negligent, willful or wanton acts, or omissions. Costs for damage to

or loss of State property may be deducted from the responsible employee's pay.

4)         Reporting Damage or Loss

Employees

shall promptly report any loss, theft or damage to State property or documents

in their custody to their supervisor.

5)         Return of Equipment

Upon leaving

their position with the Office, employees shall return all property and

credentials assigned to them.  At its option, the Office may withhold an

employee's final paycheck pending return of State property and credentials

assigned to or in the possession of that employee or may deduct the value of

any unreturned State property from the departing employee's final paycheck

Equipment

Upon leaving

their position with the Office, employees shall return all property and

credentials assigned to them.  At its option, the Office may withhold an

employee's final paycheck pending return of State property and credentials

assigned to or in the possession of that employee or may deduct the value of

any unreturned State property from the departing employee's final paycheck.

f)         Disclosure of Official or Confidential Information

1)         Testifying and Responding to Subpoenas

When requested

or subpoenaed to testify or produce documentation pertaining to confidential

information before an executive or legislative commission or a court of law,

employees shall notify the Auditor General prior to giving the testimony or

producing documentation.

2)         Engagements to Speak or Write

A)        No employee may accept invitations for public addresses or

submit articles for publication that concern the official activities of the

Office without obtaining the prior approval of the Auditor General.

B)        An employee may not accept compensation from, or permit his or

her expenses to be paid by, sources other than the State of Illinois for

speaking engagements or writings performed as official duties, except with the

prior approval of the Auditor General.

g)         Secondary

Employment

Employees may not hold secondary

employment or be involved in a private enterprise if the employment or

enterprise actually does or has the potential to interfere or conflict with his

or her State position, or reasonably may be viewed by others as interfering

with or conflicting with his or her State position

ept with the

prior approval of the Auditor General.

g)         Secondary

Employment

Employees may not hold secondary

employment or be involved in a private enterprise if the employment or

enterprise actually does or has the potential to interfere or conflict with his

or her State position, or reasonably may be viewed by others as interfering

with or conflicting with his or her State position.  Employees who engage in

secondary employment or private enterprise shall avoid any action that might

result in:

1)         Any

activities that take the employee's time and attention during official working

hours or adversely affect job performance;

2)         Use

of State equipment, facilities, supplies, prestige or one's office of

employment for personal use or private gain;

3)         Use

of any information identified as confidential by the agency or by State or

federal law, or the use of any information not available to the public that is

gained by being a State employee, for direct or indirect personal advantage or

private gain; and

4)         Any

activity that reflects unfavorably on the Office.

h)         Educational

Materials and Missions

For purposes of further defining

exceptions to the Gift Ban Law, "educational materials and missions"

shall mean those materials and missions that:

1)         have

a close connection to the recipient officer's or employee's State employment or

the mission of the Office;

2)         predominately

benefit the public and not the employee or officer; and

3)         are

approved by the Office's ethics officer in advance of the mission or receipt of

the materials, if practicable.  If it is not practicable to obtain advance

approval, the mission and materials shall be reported to the Office's ethics

officer as soon as practicable and shall contain a detailed explanation of why

approval could not be obtained in advance

he employee or officer; and

3)         are

approved by the Office's ethics officer in advance of the mission or receipt of

the materials, if practicable.  If it is not practicable to obtain advance

approval, the mission and materials shall be reported to the Office's ethics

officer as soon as practicable and shall contain a detailed explanation of why

approval could not be obtained in advance.  The following items may be accepted

without ethics officer approval:

A)        Single

copies of academic or professional publications or software in the employee's

or officer's area of responsibility or field of study; and

B)        Waiver

of conference registration fees for officers or employees serving as conference

speakers, committee members or invitees of the conference host.

i)          Travel

Expenses for a Meeting to Discuss State Business

For purposes of further defining

exceptions to the Gift Ban Law, "travel expenses for a meeting to discuss

State business" shall mean travel that:

1)         has a

close connection to the recipient officer's or employee's State employment;

2)         predominately

benefits the public and not the employee or officer;

3)         is

for travel in a style and manner in character with the conduct of State

business; and

4)         is

approved by the Office's ethics officer in advance of the travel, if

practicable.  If it is not practicable to obtain advance approval, the travel

shall be reported to the Office's ethics officer as soon as practicable and

shall contain a detailed explanation of why approval could not be obtained in

advance

a style and manner in character with the conduct of State

business; and

4)         is

approved by the Office's ethics officer in advance of the travel, if

practicable.  If it is not practicable to obtain advance approval, the travel

shall be reported to the Office's ethics officer as soon as practicable and

shall contain a detailed explanation of why approval could not be obtained in

advance.

j)          Harassment/Discrimination/Incivility

Employees are expressly prohibited

from engaging in conduct they know or reasonably should know is harassment or

discrimination against any person on the basis of his or her actual or

perceived race, sex, religion, national origin, color, ancestry, citizenship

status, physical or mental disability, age, sexual orientation, marital status,

military status, pregnancy and childbirth or related medical conditions, or any

other legally protected classification, as well as behavior that a reasonable

person would view as incivility or bullying.  Employees engaging in harassing,

discriminatory or uncivil behaviors may be disciplined and, depending upon the

circumstances, may be discharged.