Standards of Conduct Briefing

1. Standards of Conduct Briefing Labor & Employee Relations Branch, AMH-160

2. FAA’s Standards of Conduct • Designed to encourage employees to maintain a level of behavior and performance that will promote the efficiency of the Federal service and conform to accepted ethical principles • Employees’ conduct on the job has a direct bearing on the proper and effective accomplishment of official duties and responsibilities • Employees on TDY are expected to maintain a professional decorum • Employees are also expected to conduct themselves appropriately when off duty

3. FAA’s Standards of Conduct • Employees in direct contact with the public bear a heavy responsibility as their conduct and professionalism plays a significant role in determining the public’s attitude toward the Gov’t and the FAA • During an employee’s one-year probationary period, he/she may be removed without any due process requirements if the employee has performance deficiencies, lack of aptitude for the job, misconduct and/or cooperativeness, or undesirable characteristics evidenced by the employee's activities either during or outside official duty hours

4. Employee Responsibilities • No FAA employee, spouse, or minor child, may hold stocks or other securities in an aviation related industry • Mutual funds are excluded if have less than 30% in aviation related industry, & employee neither exercises nor has the ability to exercise control over the financial interests held in the fund • Citation: 5 CFR 6001.104(b) & (c)

5. Employee Responsibilities -cont’d • Report to work on time & in a condition which will permit performance of assigned duties, e.g., appropriate tools, free from effects of alcohol/drugs, etc. • Render full & industrious service in the performance of assigned duties • If not sufficiently occupied, should notify supvervisor for assignment of additional work • Respond promptly to directions & instructions received from supervisor

6. Employee Responsibilities -cont’d • Exercise courtesy & tact in all interactions; help foster a Model EEO Program • Maintain a clean & neat personal appearance to the maximum extent practicable during working hours • Safeguard classified information & unclassified info which should not be given general circulation as provided for in FAA Order 1600.2

7. Employee Responsibilities -cont’d • Safeguard personally identifiable information, such as social security numbers, addresses, etc. • Conserve & protect Federal funds, property, equipment, & materials • Observe & abide by all laws, rules, regulations, & other authoritative instructions, written & unwritten • Uphold with integrity the public trust involved in the position which assigned • Report known or suspected violations of law, regulations, safety guidelines, or policy through the appropriate channels

8. Employee Responsibilities -cont’d • Employees may not use or permit others to use Federal equipment, property, time, or personnel for other than official business, or officially approved or sponsored activities, e.g., • Misuse of gov't owned or leased vehicle for non-official purposes • Misuse of gov’t telephones, copying machines, computers, etc. • Incidental non-gov’t use of the Internet is permitted as long as it does not interfere with official business and involves minimal expense to the gov’t, and it does not violate some other regulation or law • Misuse of gov’t contractor issued credit card • Use for official travel only and pay the bill on time

9. Employee Responsibilities -cont’d • Employees may not have personal mail delivered to work • U.S postage (metered or stamped) may not be used for personal benefit • includes when applying for Federal positions • Government envelopes may not be used for personal benefit

10. Employee Responsibilities -cont’d • Employees must obtain approval of all absences from duty (including LWOP) • Employee is AWOL if absence is not requested & approved • AWOL charge can lead to disciplinary action • AWOL can be charged in 1-minute increments • Normally, employee should contact supervisor to report unexpected absence within one hour of scheduled start time • Correctly code timesheet to reflect actual start and stop times

11. Employee Responsibilities -cont’d • Duty of every employee to give to any supervisor or official conducting an official investigation or inquiry all information and testimony required • Can’t take the “5th” if only an administrative investigation • While employees have the right to petition Congress, employee may not use agency facilities, supplies, equipment, personnel, &/or duty time to make such contacts for personal business

12. Employee Responsibilities -cont’d • Managers, supervisors, & team leads, shall not borrow money from subordinates or have subordinates act as an endorser or co-maker of a note • Employees shall not loan money to fellow employees or superior officials for the purpose of monetary profit or other gain

13. Employee Responsibilities -cont’d • Substance abuse (drugs and/or alcohol) will not be tolerated and may serve as the basis for proposing removal • Prohibition against accepting gifts valued at over $20 from a prohibited source, e.g., person who is seeking official action from the agency, does business with the agency, etc. - see 5 CFR 2635, Subpart B and our Legal Office for more details

14. Employee Responsibilities -cont’d • Employees shall not make or encourage others to make irresponsible, false, disparaging, disrespectful, or defamatory statements which attack the integrity of other individuals or organizations, or disrupts the orderly conduct of official business • No employee shall advocate or become a member of any organization which the employee knows advocates the overthrow of our Constitutional form of Government, or which seeks by force or violence to deny other persons their Constitutional rights

15. Employee Responsibilities -cont’d • Telephone eavesdropping is prohibited • Advance notice must be given when someone else is placed on the phone line • Advance verbal warning must be given when an automatic recording device or a speaker phone is used • Covert/secret video/audio recording of any conversation or meetings occurring at the workplace or off-site dealing with workplace issues and matters of official concern is prohibited

16. Employee Responsibilities -cont’d • Policy against misconduct of a sexual nature, e.g., viewing internet pornography at work • Policy against sexual harassment and discrimination • FAA identification badge must be worn • Off-duty criminal activity is regarded as misconduct & can result in disciplinary action • Hatch Act restrictions on political activities by federal employees may be viewed at the following web site: http://www.osc.gov/ha_fed.htm

17. Employee Responsibilities -cont’d • Violent, threatening, harassing and/or confrontational behaviors in any form are unacceptable & will not be tolerated • No employee, while in or on FAA/GSA owned or leased property, to include Gov’t & personal vehicles, shall carry or have in their possession, privately owned firearms or other weapons unless job requirement • Prohibition applies regardless of any State law which may permit the carrying of firearms

18. Employee Responsibilities -cont’d • Employees must meet their private financial obligations • Strike prohibition • Employees shall not engage in private activities for personal or non-personal financial gain or any other unauthorized purpose while on Government owned or leased property. • Canvassing, soliciting or selling is prohibited.

19. Personnel GuidelinesWebsite • For more information on the aforementioned topics, or for a more complete description and list of employee responsibilities please • see the HRPM ER 4-1 at http://www.faa.gov/ahr/policy/hrpm/hrpmtoc. htm#er. If you have additional questions about this material, contact your servicing Human Resources office

20. Questions?