BUSINESS ETHICS2020

…that employees maintain high standards of honesty,

integrity, impartiality, and conduct to assure the proper

performance of county business, as well as maintain

confidence by the public in county government.

IT IS THE POLICY OF RUTHERFORD COUNTY…

BUSINESS ETHICS

The set of moral rules

that govern how

businesses operate,

how business

decisions are made,

and how people are

treated.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

WHAT IS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST?

When an individual has an interest that

compromises the reliability of their decision

making.

For example, offering paid services on your time

off to a county customer or vendor, or

dating/having a romantic relationship with your

supervisor, or failing to disclose that you’re

related to a job candidate the county is hiring,

etc.

• Employees shall not engage in any activity, in a private or official capacity, where a conflict of interest may exist

• Employees must not have any financial interest in, or receive any financial benefit from, any purchase or expense relating to county activity

• Employees must avoid any action that might result in or create the appearance of using public position for private gain, giving preferential treatment to anyone, impeding county government efficiency or economy, or eroding the public’s confidence in county integrity

• If the circumstances would cause a reasonable person to believe that a conflict of interest may exist, you must contact your elected official, department head, or director, and complete an updated conflict of interest form

Employees, employee’s spouse, or employee’s child living in the same household may not accept, directly or indirectly, any gratuities, loans, gifts of great value from organizations, business concerns, or individuals with whom he/she have official business that could create the impression that the giver was seeking favor, or tying to influence an opinion or judgment from the official or employee.

Exceptions to this policy, for anyone not involved in the purchasing process, are:

• An employee receiving entertainment, food, refreshments, meals, health screenings, amenities, or beverages that are provided in connection with a conference, training, or meeting, sponsored by an established or recognized association of county government

• An employee receiving an occasional meal or other items valued at fifty dollars or less

• An employee receiving small gifts (e.g. flowers, candy, fruit baskets) that would be a normal social courtesy

Elected officials, department heads, or directors shall determine if the employee’s outside activity is a conflict of interest. The county mayor or elected official shall review and determine whether a department head or director’s outside activity is a conflict of interest. Acceptance of items resulting in a conflict of interest may be a cause for corrective actions, up to and including termination.

Examples of choosing “right”

Conducting business with integrity,

and keeping the county’s best

interest as your priority

Getting and comparing bids from

different vendors for purchases

Notifying your elected official,

department head, or director if a

conflict of interest exists or arises

Examples of choosing “wrong”

Having access to

confidential information and

using it inappropriately

Having someone else clock

you in/out when you are not

present

Using county resources to

run your personal business

OUTSIDE EMPLOYMENT

County employees may also be employed in other jobs,

subject to the following conditions:

• It can’t interfere with your county work schedule or performance

• It can’t be a conflict of interest with county programs or positions

• For paid and directly related work, employees must have prior

written approval and authorization from their elected official,

director, or department head, utilizing the Outside Employment

form from HR

• Can’t work at outside employment while on approved leave (other

than military or disaster leave)

Regardless of the nature of any outside employment, the

requirements of employment with the county must take priority

over other jobs.

These requirements include, but are not limited to:

• attendance

• being available for overtime work or outside of normal hours if the county job requires it

• being well-rested and physically fit so that county work can be done properly and

efficiently

Outside employment will not be considered an excuse for poor job

performance, absenteeism, tardiness, leaving early, refusal to travel, or

refusal to work overtime or different hours.

REPORTING UNETHICAL BEHAVIOR:

Report any violation of policy, procedure, or

state/federal law to your elected official, department

head, director, or supervisor.

If an employee observes an elected official,

department head, director, or fellow employee

engaging in any activity which is considered to be

illegal, improper, unethical, or wasteful, they should

call: State Comptroller’s toll free Fraud, Waste,

and Abuse Hotline 1-800-232-5454

Family

Medical

Leave

Act

…entitles eligible employees to take 12 workweeks of

unpaid, job protected leave in a rolling 12-month

calendar year for qualifying personal and family medical

reasons.

THE FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE ACT…

FMLA

May provide 12 weeks of leave for an employee’s qualifying serious

health condition;

May provide 12 weeks of leave for an employee’s spouse, child, or

parent who has a qualifying serious health condition;

TN Family & Medical Leave runs concurrent with FMLA and may

provide up to 4 months of leave for the birth, placement, or foster care

of a child

May provide 26 weeks of leave for a serious injury or illness of covered

service member;

May provide employees with continuation of health benefits and the

right to reinstatement after taking leave

You can take FMLA on a continuous basis, on a reduced schedule, on

an intermittent basis, or a combination of all.

FMLA ELIGIBILITY

EMPLOYED BY THE COUNTY FOR ONE (1) YEAR

WORKED 1250 HOURS FOR ONE (1) YEAR PRIOR

SERIOUS HEALTH CONDITIONIncludes any injury, illness, impairment, or physical or mental condition, that involves

inpatient care or continuing treatment.

Generally, a chronic or long term health condition which, if left untreated, would result in a period

of incapacity of more than three (3) days, is considered a serious health condition

Incapacity means inability to work or perform other regular daily activities due to a serious health

condition or its treatment or recovery

Inpatient care means an overnight stay in a hospital, hospice, or residential medical care facility, including any period of incapacity or any following treatment in

connection with inpatient care

Treatment includes examinations to determine if a serious healthcare conditions exits, evaluations of

the condition, and actual treatment by or under supervision of a healthcare provider to resolve or

alleviate the condition. (Not including routine physical, eye, or dental exams.)

BENEFITS WHILE ON LEAVE

County will continue to pay the

county’s portion of health benefits

during leave in the same manner as

before leave was taken

If on paid leave, the county will

deduct the employee’s portion of

insurance premiums from payroll

If on unpaid leave, the employee will

make payments to the Insurance &

Risk Management department

Complete the FMLA application - within 30 days of your expected leave, fill out the application by providing your contact information including your personal email address*, estimated dates you plan to be out, who the leave is for, and sign. The form can be found on the Human Resources Intranet site, or by calling HR.

Department Review - Take the completed application to your supervisor for review to see if the time requested works for your department’s scheduling. If they signoff, submit the completed application to Human Resources.

Eligibility - Once your application is submitted, Human Resources will determine your eligibility, and send you the next steps including medical certification documents to take to the treating healthcare provider to certify.

Final Decision - After all forms have been submitted to HR, you will receive a decision letter and Designation Notice. If your leave is approved, it will include the dates the healthcare provider determined you need off.

*All communication will be conducted with your personal email address

APPLY

Rutherford County Employee Handbook

• Go to: https://rutherfordcountygovt.sharepoint.com/RCHR/SitePages/Forms.aspx

• Click “Handbooks”

• Select “RCG Employee Handbook” in PDF

• Contact HR for a copy if you can’t access the SharePoint site

QUIZhttps://secure.rutherfordcountytn.gov/hrquiz/businessethics.aspx