Ohio Administrative Code › Title 4123 - Bureau of Workers' Compensation › Chapter 4123-15 - Code of Ethics › Section 4123-15-03 - Standards of conduct

Current through all regulations passed and filed through July 1, 2024
(A) Purpose.
It is the policy of the industrial commission and the bureau of
				workers' compensation to carry out its mission in accordance with the strictest
				ethical guidelines and to ensure that commission and bureau employees conduct
				themselves in a manner that fosters public confidence in the integrity of the
				commission and the bureau, its processes, and its accomplishments.
The commission and the bureau hereby adopt the provisions of
				the Ohio ethics law, including but not limited to the provisions of Chapters
				102. and 2921. of the Revised Code, and as interpreted by the Ohio ethics
				commission and Ohio courts.
(B) Prohibited conduct.
(1) No industrial commission member, the
			 administrator of workers' compensation, bureau of workers' compensation board
			 of directors member, commission employee, bureau employee, ombudsperson, or
			 employee of the office of ombudsperson shall do any of the following acts:
(a) Solicit or accept anything of value from
			 anyone doing business with the commission or the bureau;
(b) Solicit or accept employment from anyone
			 doing business with the commission or the bureau, unless the member or employee
			 completely withdraws from any commission or bureau discretionary or
			 decision-making activity regarding the party offering employment, and the
			 commission or the bureau approves the withdrawal;
(c) Use his or her public position to obtain
			 benefits for the member or employee, a family member, or anyone with whom the
			 member or employee has a business or employment relationship;
(d) Be paid or accept any form of
			 compensation for personal services rendered on a matter before, or sell goods
			 or services to the commission or the bureau;
(e) Be paid or accept any form of
			 compensation for personal services rendered on a matter before, or sell (except
			 by competitive bid) goods or services to, any state agency other than the
			 commission or the bureau, as applicable, unless the member or employee first
			 discloses the services or sales and withdraws from matters before the
			 commission or the bureau that directly affect officials and employees of the
			 other state agency, as directed in section
			 102.04 of the Revised
			 Code;
(f) Hold or benefit from a
			 contract with, authorized by, or approved by the commission or the bureau, (the
			 ethics law does accept some limited stockholdings, and some contracts
			 objectively shown as the lowest cost services, where all criteria under section
			 2921.42 of the Revised Code are
			 met);
(g) Vote, authorize,
			 recommend, or in any other way use his or her position to secure approval of a
			 commission or bureau contract (including employment or personal services) in
			 which the member or employee, a family member, or anyone with whom the member
			 or employee has a business or employment relationship, has an
			 interest;
(h) Solicit or accept
			 honoraria (see division (H) of section
			 102.01 and division (H) of
			 section 
										
											102.03
										 of the Revised
			 Code) except that employees who are not financial disclosure filers may receive
			 an honorarium only if the honorarium is paid in recognition of a demonstrable
			 business, profession, or esthetic interest of the employee that exists apart
			 from public office or employment, and is not paid by any person or other
			 entity, or by a representative or association of those persons or entities,
			 doing business with the commission or the bureau, as applicable;
(i) During public service, represent any
			 person, in any fashion, before any public agency, with respect to a matter in
			 which the member or employee personally participated while serving with the
			 commission or the bureau, as applicable; and for one year after leaving public
			 service shall not represent any person, in any fashion, before any public
			 agency, with respect to a matter in which the member or employee personally
			 exercised discretionary authority while serving with the commission or the
			 bureau; after separation from state employment, this policy does not apply to
			 ministerial acts on behalf of a client or customer;
(j) Use or disclose confidential information
			 protected by law, unless appropriately authorized;
(k) Use, or authorize the use of, his or her
			 title, the name of the commission or the bureau, or the agencies logos in a
			 manner that suggests impropriety, favoritism, or bias by the commission or the
			 bureau, or by a member or employee;
(l) Solicit or accept any compensation,
			 except as allowed by law, to perform his or her official duties or any act or
			 service in his or her official capacity; and
(m) Sponsor parties or other entertainment
			 for the personnel of their agencies, the costs of which are covered in whole or
			 in part by donations or receipts from the sale of tickets to individuals or
			 entities, who are doing or seeking to do business with the commission or
			 bureau.