The following information has alsobeen communicated through UML Today and Email to all UMass Lowell employees.
Employees are encouraged to do this training as soon as possible. There is no penalty for not completing it by April 2.
To: Faculty, Staff, andUndergraduate & Graduate Student Employees
From: Jack Giarusso, Executive Director of Human Resources
Re: Mandatory Ethics Requirement for All Public Employees ‘ State Ethics Commission On-Line Training Program
Date: March 29, 2010
The MA Legislature and Governor passed legislation, Chapter 28 of the Acts of 2009, imposing mandatory ethics education and training for all public employees. The mandatory training requirement of the Act requires that all University employees must complete a State Ethics Commission on-line ethics training program by April 2, 2010, and again every two years thereafter.
University employees hired after April 2, 2010 must complete this training within 30 days of beginning Universityemployment and again every two years thereafter. The on-line training program takes 15 to 30 minutes to complete. The training consists of 25 hypothetical situations involving potential conflicts of interest or other violations of the state ethics law and test general ethics knowledge and the basic requirements in matters like accepting gratuities, self-dealing and nepotism, confidentiality, and post-retirement restrictions.
To access the State Ethic Commission on-line training program, visit http://db.state.ma.us/ethics/quiz_MEthics/index.asp. Upon completing the on-line training program you will receive a certificate of completion. Please print out the completion certificate and mail the certificate to Human Resources, Dugan Hall, Room 200. You should also retain a copy for your records. You may also fax your completion certificate to 978-934-3036, or e-mail a scanned version of your completion certificate to HR@uml.edu.
Employees who lack regular access to a computer at their worksite may use workstations in the Human Resources Office in Dugan Hall, Room 200 to take the on-line training program. Employees who are unable to comply with the on-line training program requirements because of limited English fluency, reading comprehension, or special needs should contact Human Resources.
Employees on leaves of absence will be required to complete the on-line training program when they return back to work. Please contact Human Resources at 978-934-3560 if you have any questions about the mandatory on-line ethics training program requirement for public employees.
While the on-line training program is comprehensive, no training can cover all of the difficult ethical issues that could be encountered. The State Ethics Commission provides free, confidential legal advice about how the law applies in a particular situation. I encourage you to seek legal advice from the State Ethics Commission at 617-371-9500 and/or the Division of Human Resources if you face a potential conflict of interest.
Additional information regarding this new mandatory education and training requirement may be found at the State Ethics Commissions website at: http://www.uml.edu/ethicsed.