The quiz consists of 10 ethics scenarios based on actual situations encountered by County employees. Apply the basic principles of public service and your knowledge of the St. Louis County Government to each situation. In each case there is one best response or approach that will resolve the ethical dilemma. Correct responses and explanation appear once you have submitted your answers.
Yes
No
The crew can do the job because they finished their assigned work early.
Using the crew to pave Joe’s driveway is an abuse of his authority.
It’s okay as long as Joe pays them for the work.
As a supervisor, Joe is in charge and can tell the crew to do anything he wants.
Accept the bottle of Zinfandel, but bring it home to share with your family and friends.
Tell the vendor that you appreciate the thought, but you are not allowed to accept alcohol.
Tell the vendor that you appreciate the thought, but you cannot accept any gift from a vendor.
Accept the bottle and bring it to the office holiday party.
No. You cannot accept any gift from a vendor.
Yes. As long as you are going to the game on your own time.
Yes. You can accept the tickets, provided you bring someone else from work to the game with you.
Yes. You accept the tickets and sell them. You put the money toward the “adopt a family” program.
Yes, because it will help expedite the work process and your office has a license
No. Each employee must take turns using the one copy that you have a license for.
Yes, provided you only use it while in the office
Tell your manager that you know one of the bidders personally and therefore you should remove yourself from the review process in order to avoid any actual or perceived conflict of interest.
Keep it to yourself and just give your manager your unbiased feedback.
Take care of the errand on your own time using your own car.
Park a block from the dry cleaners so no one will know you used a county car.
Use the county car to do your personal errand on your lunch hour.
It’s so close – there is no harm in stopping off.
No. It doesn’t matter what people do on their own time.
Yes. She is using County resources for profit and should conduct her private business outside of the office, using her own resources.
No. She has two children and should be commended for being so hard-working!
Yes. But she’s not hurting anyone so what’s the problem?
No, you’ve worked hard all day and now this is on your own time.
Yes, you are using a County resource for profit which is prohibited.
No, the use is brief and infrequent so there should not be a problem.
Pull the plug on the fax machine now!
Send an e-mail to your supervisor right away explaining the situation and asking for resolution
Don’t tell anyone since you might get into trouble
Make a stock buy of your own based on the documents.