Compliance Chat #6 Appropriate use of Official Position

June 9, 2023

Recently the United States Office of Government Ethics “proposed the most thorough overhaul of federal employee ethics rules in three decades, touching on topics ranging from gift-giving policies to financial conflicts and from fundraising to misuse of an official position”, as reported in FedWeek.

Here at the University of Alaska issues such as misuse of official position are addressed in the Executive Branch Ethics Act (EBEA). The EBEA provides us guidance to safely navigate these situations and it serves as our Standards of Ethical Conduct. Regarding our use of our official positions, the EBEA states that employees may not “use, or attempt to use, an official position for personal gain, and may not intentionally secure or grant unwarranted benefits or treatment for any person.” 

Learn more about these requirements as we continue our coverage of the Executive Branch Ethics Act in this month’s “Compliance Chat” video clip. Mary Gower, Senior Institutional Compliance Liaison, meets with Andy Harrington from the Office of the General Counsel for a quick overview of the guidelines to avoid potential issues with the appropriate use of an official position.

Interested in trying to win a prize? After watching this Compliance Chat and answer the question: 

If you are already being compensated for your work from the university, can you also accept payment for that work from another entity?

Email your answer to ua-compliance@alaska.edu. A correct answer will be drawn at random to receive $20* at Amazon.com!

*Gift certificates are taxable. Responses due before June 30th, 2023.