Is this ethical?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The best answer is to check with the agency's Ethics Officer/ Office, which may be located within the General Counsel's office (or not). That is the only opinion which matters in this case.

Better yet, just don't do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:934 here. Let me just add... Not sure why you are asking this for your DH. As a SES or a fed at any level, he should know this. If he doesn't, he really shouldn't be sitting where he is sitting.

Hopefully OP is just asking out of her own curiosity and not because her SES husband asked her. You are right that anyone at that level should know the answer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:934 here. Let me just add... Not sure why you are asking this for your DH. As a SES or a fed at any level, he should know this. If he doesn't, he really shouldn't be sitting where he is sitting.

Hopefully OP is just asking out of her own curiosity and not because her SES husband asked her. You are right that anyone at that level should know the answer.

OP here. How about a different scenario? How about DS reaching out to the PM at another agency that has nothing to do with DH and get the job that way? DH is not involved in the process at all.

The caveat is that this PM is also working for the same company as the PM being managed by DH. Both PMs know each other and the PM that hires DS knows who DH is.

Is this OK in this scenario?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:934 here. Let me just add... Not sure why you are asking this for your DH. As a SES or a fed at any level, he should know this. If he doesn't, he really shouldn't be sitting where he is sitting.

Hopefully OP is just asking out of her own curiosity and not because her SES husband asked her. You are right that anyone at that level should know the answer.

OP here. How about a different scenario? How about DS reaching out to the PM at another agency that has nothing to do with DH and get the job that way? DH is not involved in the process at all.

The caveat is that this PM is also working for the same company as the PM being managed by DH. Both PMs know each other and the PM that hires DS knows who DH is.

Is this OK in this scenario?

Private sector here. You know, I don't give a flying eff what people do anymore. Civil servants are held to higher standards than politicians. Politicians are out there inside trading, nepotism, writing tucker carlson's kids references, and inciting terrorism. I know it's nice to think that our civil servants are in line and being moral about every thing (because it's truly chaos if not) but I"m just so. tired. Just do whatever and don't get caught. You know, like your bosses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:934 here. Let me just add... Not sure why you are asking this for your DH. As a SES or a fed at any level, he should know this. If he doesn't, he really shouldn't be sitting where he is sitting.

Hopefully OP is just asking out of her own curiosity and not because her SES husband asked her. You are right that anyone at that level should know the answer.

OP here. How about a different scenario? How about DS reaching out to the PM at another agency that has nothing to do with DH and get the job that way? DH is not involved in the process at all.

The caveat is that this PM is also working for the same company as the PM being managed by DH. Both PMs know each other and the PM that hires DS knows who DH is.

Is this OK in this scenario?

No.

So, what we usually refer to it as is the Washington post test. If you could imagine a scenario where your husband could be reasonably seen as doing something improper based on the interaction, don’t do it. While it’s not a bad idea to call an ethics counselor, ultimate responsibility falls on the SES, so your husband should just not do it. As others have stated, the fact that you even ask shows that it’s in violation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:934 here. Let me just add... Not sure why you are asking this for your DH. As a SES or a fed at any level, he should know this. If he doesn't, he really shouldn't be sitting where he is sitting.

Hopefully OP is just asking out of her own curiosity and not because her SES husband asked her. You are right that anyone at that level should know the answer.

OP here. How about a different scenario? How about DS reaching out to the PM at another agency that has nothing to do with DH and get the job that way? DH is not involved in the process at all.

The caveat is that this PM is also working for the same company as the PM being managed by DH. Both PMs know each other and the PM that hires DS knows who DH is.

Is this OK in this scenario?

If your child is still being claimed as a dependent, it would be illegal for your son to receive anything of value (job, income, stock options) from a contractor overseen by your husband. Similarly, such a dependent child could not own equity or debt instruments issued by such contracting company.

Any Ethics lawyer at your husband’s agency would tell him it’s not allowed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:934 here. Let me just add... Not sure why you are asking this for your DH. As a SES or a fed at any level, he should know this. If he doesn't, he really shouldn't be sitting where he is sitting.

Hopefully OP is just asking out of her own curiosity and not because her SES husband asked her. You are right that anyone at that level should know the answer.

OP here. How about a different scenario? How about DS reaching out to the PM at another agency that has nothing to do with DH and get the job that way? DH is not involved in the process at all.

The caveat is that this PM is also working for the same company as the PM being managed by DH. Both PMs know each other and the PM that hires DS knows who DH is.

Is this OK in this scenario?

If your child is still being claimed as a dependent, it would be illegal for your son to receive anything of value (job, income, stock options) from a contractor overseen by your husband. Similarly, such a dependent child could not own equity or debt instruments issued by such contracting company.

Any Ethics lawyer at your husband’s agency would tell him it’s not allowed.

OP here. Let me put it in another way. if my DS, who is still a dependent, applies for a job with, for example, Lockheed which is a big company, that has contracts with so many agencies around here, and that my DH is an SES level at one of those agencies. Does that mean my DS is not allowed to work for Lockheed at all in any capacity? If that is true, it is just insane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:934 here. Let me just add... Not sure why you are asking this for your DH. As a SES or a fed at any level, he should know this. If he doesn't, he really shouldn't be sitting where he is sitting.

Hopefully OP is just asking out of her own curiosity and not because her SES husband asked her. You are right that anyone at that level should know the answer.

OP here. How about a different scenario? How about DS reaching out to the PM at another agency that has nothing to do with DH and get the job that way? DH is not involved in the process at all.

The caveat is that this PM is also working for the same company as the PM being managed by DH. Both PMs know each other and the PM that hires DS knows who DH is.

Is this OK in this scenario?

If your child is still being claimed as a dependent, it would be illegal for your son to receive anything of value (job, income, stock options) from a contractor overseen by your husband. Similarly, such a dependent child could not own equity or debt instruments issued by such contracting company.

Any Ethics lawyer at your husband’s agency would tell him it’s not allowed.

OP here. Let me put it in another way. if my DS, who is still a dependent, applies for a job with, for example, Lockheed which is a big company, that has contracts with so many agencies around here, and that my DH is an SES level at one of those agencies. Does that mean my DS is not allowed to work for Lockheed at all in any capacity? If that is true, it is just insane.

Your story keeps changing but in this case, I wouldn’t say your DS is not allowed but your DH should def check with his ethics office. In govt “I didn’t know” is not good enough. And ethics violation is taken seriously.

[Anonymous]

Your husband is SES and you are asking for him here?!!! I call troll.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:934 here. Let me just add... Not sure why you are asking this for your DH. As a SES or a fed at any level, he should know this. If he doesn't, he really shouldn't be sitting where he is sitting.

Exactly. I want to know what agency your DH works in where this level of incompetence is prevalent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:934 here. Let me just add... Not sure why you are asking this for your DH. As a SES or a fed at any level, he should know this. If he doesn't, he really shouldn't be sitting where he is sitting.

Are you aware of the revolving door at the Pentagon or Federal Agency?

DP: what does this mean?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DH is at the SES level at a federal agency. DS will be graduating in about three months and is looking for a job in Project Management. One of the Project Manager contractors under DH's supervision has offered to take DS's resume to another PM in another federal agency. This is just a formality and that DS will be hired for a job at a different agency. Is this ethical?

It may not be ethical but is done all the time. As long as your son is qualified and your DH does not directly manage his work performance, you should be fine. Just don't create any paper trail. i.e. Make all discussions verbal with no witnesses and have DS apply on the company's portal so the established paper trail is 'proper'.

[Anonymous]

OP, from reading between the lines, is this a whistleblower type of situation? Are you a contractor trying to trip up another contractor or your manager. I think in the time you spent here, your DS could have applied to half a dozen PM positions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DH is at the SES level at a federal agency. DS will be graduating in about three months and is looking for a job in Project Management. One of the Project Manager contractors under DH's supervision has offered to take DS's resume to another PM in another federal agency. This is just a formality and that DS will be hired for a job at a different agency. Is this ethical?

It may not be ethical but is done all the time. As long as your son is qualified and your DH does not directly manage his work performance, you should be fine. Just don't create any paper trail. i.e. Make all discussions verbal with no witnesses and have DS apply on the company's portal so the established paper trail is 'proper'.

This is NOT how it works.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:934 here. Let me just add... Not sure why you are asking this for your DH. As a SES or a fed at any level, he should know this. If he doesn't, he really shouldn't be sitting where he is sitting.

Hopefully OP is just asking out of her own curiosity and not because her SES husband asked her. You are right that anyone at that level should know the answer.

OP here. How about a different scenario? How about DS reaching out to the PM at another agency that has nothing to do with DH and get the job that way? DH is not involved in the process at all.

The caveat is that this PM is also working for the same company as the PM being managed by DH. Both PMs know each other and the PM that hires DS knows who DH is.

Is this OK in this scenario?

If your child is still being claimed as a dependent, it would be illegal for your son to receive anything of value (job, income, stock options) from a contractor overseen by your husband. Similarly, such a dependent child could not own equity or debt instruments issued by such contracting company.

Any Ethics lawyer at your husband’s agency would tell him it’s not allowed.

OP here. Let me put it in another way. if my DS, who is still a dependent, applies for a job with, for example, Lockheed which is a big company, that has contracts with so many agencies around here, and that my DH is an SES level at one of those agencies. Does that mean my DS is not allowed to work for Lockheed at all in any capacity? If that is true, it is just insane.

This is not what you asked. You’re obviously attempting to figure out how to skirt it so that it does not look like anything is happening that is unethical.

If your son applies to Lockheed in an open competition and is hired onto a contract in which his Father has no connection, that’s okay.

If he gets a job at Lockheed because his name was floated as the son of your husband, regardless of which contract, it’s unethical. Your husband already did the floating of his name, so it’s already improper if there is literally any connection between that string pulled and your son being hired. Now, if your husband gives his son’s resume to some friend who owns a contracting company in which your husband has no reasonable assumption there is anything to be gained from the connection, it’s fine.