For our university, we must follow Florida’s Code of Ethics for Public Officers and Employees that includes standards of conduct and reporting requirements.Ĭonflicts of interest are a clash that most often occurs between requirements and interests. Industry organizations, corporations, and universities, including our university, follow that lead by including conflicts of interest in our policies, regulations, and standards of operating procedures. Government agencies take conflicts of interest so seriously that they are regulated. Even though these situations are very different, they all fall under the heading of “conflict of interest.”Ī conflict of interest occurs when an individual’s personal interests – family, friendships, financial, or social factors – could compromise his or her judgment, decisions, or actions in the workplace. A supervisor may give a co-worker time off from work to do volunteer work or might allow employees to solicit donations and funds in the workplace, whether for the Girl Scouts or a local school function. Maybe a co-worker leaves work 20 minutes early every day so she can get to her second job. We might have seen colleagues accept gifts from potential vendors. Most of us have heard someone say, “It’s who you know, not what you know.” We have heard co-workers complain that a manager’s relative always gets the biggest raise or the best assignment. Conflict of interest is a common issue in the workplace.

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