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Outside Employment & Activities
OCFO employees may engage in outside
activities that require the use of inherent expertise
provided his/her work does not create a real or
an apparent conflict of interest by interfering
with their officially assigned duties. In 1997,
employees were advised that they were no longer
required to request prior management approval
for engaging in outside employment and outside
activities. However, on March 24, 2000, the Department
of Agriculture published an interim rule in the
Federal Register that requires all employees who
file a public or confidential financial disclosure
report to seek and obtain prior approval to engage
in outside employment and activities. This rule
became final on October 2, 2000. The requirement
does not prevent employees from seeking outside
employment, but helps to prevent employees from
avoiding conflicts of interest.
Click here to access the Application
for Approval to Engage in Non-Federal Employment
or Activity.
Employees must use the "Application
for Approval to Engage in Non-Federal Employment
of Activity" form. This form is available
in Adobe Acrobat format. Approval by the immediate
supervisor and appropriate ethics advisor will
be based on an assessment that the employment
generally does not appear to violate any criminal
statutes or other administrative regulations pertaining
to ethics. It is not a determination that a criminal
or ethical conflict could not arise.
All OCFO employees considering
outside employment should carefully review and
be familiar with the provisions of the Standards
of Ethical Conduct (5 CFR, Subpart H,
§§ 2625.801 - 807) and
USDA Bulletin 735-1, Employee Responsibilities
and Conduct.
For more information see the topics
listed below.
Guidance
on Participation in Outside Organizations in an
Official Capacity
Seeking
Employment and Post Employment Prohibitions
Political
Activity
Political
Activity Quick Reference Chart
Foreign
Gifts and Decorations
Dual Compensation
(Possible Ethics Violations)
5 CFR 2635.702 - Use of Public
Office for Private Gain, specifically
(c) - Endorsements - An employee shall not use
or permit the use of his Government position
or title or any authority associated with his
public office to endorse any product, service
or enterprise . . ."
5 CFR 2635.807 - Teaching, speaking
and writing - Employees may
engage in paid outside writing, speaking and
teaching if the topic of this outside activity
is not an ongoing program.
18 U.S.C. Sec. 209 - Supplementing
one's salary - Employees cannot
receive outside payment that augments their
Government salary for
doing that for which the Government already
pays them.
Participation in Nonfederal
Organizations
http://www.usda-ethics.net/rules/rule16.htm
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