- For purposes of this policy, a teaching, speaking or writing acitivity relates to
the employee's official duties if:
-
- (a) The activity is undertaken as part of the employee's official
duties;
-
- (b) The circumstances indicate that the invitation to engage in the
activity was
- extended to the employee primarily
because of his official position rather than his
- expertise on the particular subject
matter;
-
- (c) The invitation to engage in the activity or the offer of
compensation for the activity was extended to the
employee, directly or indirectly, by a person who has interests that
may be affected
substantially by performance or nonperformance of the employee's official duties;
-
- (d) The information conveyed through the activity draws
substantially on ideas or official data that are nonpublic
information; or
-
- (e) the subject of the activity deals in significant part with:
-
- (1) any matter to which
the employee presently is assigned or to which the
-
employee had been assigned during the previous one-year period;
-
- (2) any ongoing or
announced policy, program or operation of the agency; or
- (3) In the case of a
noncareer employee as defined in 5 CFR 2636.303(a),
the general subject matter, area, industry, or economic sector primarily
affected by the programs and operations of his agency.
-
- Exception for teaching certain courses. With agency approval, an
employee may accept compensation for teaching a course requiring multiple presentations by
the employee if the course is offered as part of:
(a) The regularly established curriculum of:
-
- (1) an institution of higher education as
defined at 20 U.S.C. 1141(a);
-
- (2) an elementary school as defined at 20
U.S.C. 2891(8); or
- (3) a secondary school as defined at 20
U.S.C. 2891(21); or
-
- (b) A program of education or training sponsored and funded by the
Federal
Government or by
a state or local government which is not offered by an entity described in
part (a).
- Acceptance of travel expenses. Although employees may not accept
compensation in connection with a teaching, speaking or writing activity that relates to
their official duties, they may in such cases accept travel expenses paid for by a
non-Federal source if:
-
- a. they are in positions
equivalent to or below a GS-15; or
-
- b. they are career employees of
the Senior Executive Service
-
- This provision is a direct result of a recent District Court decision on the Sanjour Case .
-
- Reference to official position. An employee who is engaged in
teaching, speaking or writing as outside employment or as an outside activity may not use
or permit the use of his official title or position to identify him in connection with his
teaching, speaking or writing activity or to promote any book, seminar, course, program or
similar undertaking, except that:
- (a) An employee may include or permit the inclusion of his title or
position as one of
several biographical
details when such information is given to identify him in connection
with his teaching,
speaking or writing, provided that his title or position is
given no more prominence than
other significant biographical details;
- (b) An employee may use, or permit the use of, his title or position
in connection with an article published
in a scientific or professional journal, provided that the title or position
is accompanied by a
reasonably prominent disclaimer satisfactory to the
agency stating that the views expressed in
the article do not necessarily represent the views of the agency or the United States;
and
-
- (c) An employee who is ordinarily addressed using a general term of
address, such as "The Honorable," or a rank, such as a military or ambassadorial rank, may use
or permit the use of
that term of address or rank in connection with his teaching, speaking or writing.
-
- Important. Due to the complexity of this subject matter, this
page only provides general policy information on the rules governing teaching, speaking
and writing activities. If you have a complex issue that cannot be answered by the
guidance on this page, you are strongly encouraged to seek the assistance of your
servicing ethics counselor or to refer to the regulations and examples governing teaching,
speaking and writing activities in 5 CFR 2635.807.