File: GBEA - STAFF ETHICS / CONFLICT OF INTEREST File: GBEA - STAFF ETHICS / CONFLICT OF INTERESTAll employees of the Worcester Public Schools are required to adhere to the requirement of Massachusetts General Law 268A (Conflict of Interest Law). This law addresses issues such as but not limited to restrictions on acceptance and giving of gifts; political activities; and awarding contracts.
Additionally, many professional associations have codes of conduct for their members, and the School Committee expects members of its professional staff to be familiar with these codes of ethics as they apply to their profession and to adhere to it in their relationships with students, parents, coworkers, and officials of the school system.
No employee of the district will engage in or have a financial interest in, directly or indirectly, any activity that conflicts or raises a reasonable question of conflict with his duties and responsibilities in the school system. Nor will any staff member engage in any type of private business during school time or on school property.
Employees will not engage in work of any type where information concerning customer, client, or employer originates from any information available to them through school sources.
Moreover, as there should be no conflict of interest in the supervision and evaluation of employees, at no time may any administrator responsible for the supervision and/or evaluation of an employee be directly related to him/her.
Every 2 years, all current employees, including School Committee members, must complete the State Ethics Commission's online training. New employees must complete this training within 30 days of beginning employment and every 2 years thereafter. Upon completing the program, employees should print out the completion certificate and keep a copy for themselves. Employees will be required to provide a copy of the completion certificate to the municipal or district Clerk through the Superintendent's office.
In order to avoid the appearance of any possible conflict, it is the policy of the School Committee that when an immediate family member, as defined in the Conflict of Interest statute, of a School Committee member or district administrator is to be hired into or promoted within the School District, the Superintendent shall file public notice with the School Committee and the City Clerk at least two weeks prior to executing the hiring.