400.20 Definition of Employee

The 1995 Code of Ethics Law makes all state officers and state employees subject to its rules. It includes Board of Trustee members and all Seattle College District employees. Therefore, for purposes of this policy, when the term "state employee" is used, it shall also include state officers. (RCW 42.52.010)

400.21 Basic Principle

No state employee may have an interest, financial or otherwise, direct or indirect or engage in a business or transaction or professional activity or incur an obligation of any nature that is in conflict with the proper discharge of the state employee's duties. (RCW 42.52.020)

400.22 Financial Interest in Transactions

No state employee may participate directly or indirectly or be beneficially interested in an activity or transaction that may be made by, through or under the supervision of the employee.

No state employee may participate in a transaction involving the state in their official capacity with any organization or person of which the state employee is an officer, agent, employee or member, or owns a beneficial interest. (RCW 42.52.030)

Exception: Officers or employees of institutions of higher education may serve in certain nonprofit, advisory, or review capacities as permitted under RCW 42.52.030 (2).

400.22.1 Conflict of Interest, Waste, Fraud, and Abuse

Employees must promptly disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest. Disclosures must be submitted in writing to the employee’s supervisor and the District Human Resources Office using the Ethical Conduct / Conflict of Interest Standards in this policies procedure.

Employees must refrain from participating in decisions or activities related to the actual, potential, or perceived conflict until the conflict has been reviewed and resolved.

Employees must not engage in or tolerate waste, fraud, or abuse of District resources. Suspected violations must be reported to a supervisor, the Compliance Office, Human Resources, or the Washington State Auditor’s Office Whistleblower Program. Retaliation against individuals who report concerns in good faith is prohibited.

Failure to comply with this policy including nondisclosure of conflicts, misuse of resources, or violations of the Ethics in Public Service Act (RCW 42.52) may result in corrective or disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment, and may be referred to appropriate state oversight agencies.

400.23.10 Special Privileges - General

A state employee may not use thier official position to secure special privileges or exemptions for themselves or any other person. (RCW 42.52.070)

400.23.20 Special Privileges – Students

A state employee that has, or expects to have academic responsibility (instructional, evaluative, or supervisory) for a student, may not involve a student in the employee’s non-College work related business or employment in which the employee has an ownership interest. Involvement of students is defined as any substantive activity in which the student participates, regardless of whether the student is compensated or uncompensated.

400.24 Compensation for Official Duties

A state employee may not ask for or receive any compensation, gift, reward, or gratuity from any source, except the State of Washington, for performing, not performing, or delaying their official state duties. (RCW 42.52.110)

400.25.10 Gifts - General

A state employee may not accept a gift, if it could reasonably be expected to influence the performance or nonperformance of the employee's official duties. A state employee may not accept a gift or gifts from any person or source with a total value in excess of $100 per calendar year. See policy 400.25.20 and 400.25.30 below for specific rules, exceptions and limitations regarding gifts. (RCW 42.52.150)

400.25.20 Gifts - Rules, Exceptions and Limitations

The following items are presumed not to influence a state employee, and may be accepted without regard to the $100 limit stated in the District policy concerning gifts: (RCW 42.52.150)

  1. Unsolicited flowers, plants and floral arrangements;
  2. Unsolicited advertising or promotional items of nominal value, such as pens and note pads;
  3. Unsolicited tokens or awards of appreciation in the form of a plaque, trophy, desk item, wall memento or similar item;
  4. Unsolicited items received for the purpose of evaluation or review, if the employee has no personal beneficial interest in the eventual use or acquisition of the item by the employee's agency;
  5. Informational material, publications or subscriptions related to the employee's performance of official duties;
  6. Food and beverage consumed at hosted receptions where attendance is related to the state employee's official duties;
  7. Admission to, and the cost of food and beverages consumed at, events sponsored by or in conjunction with a civic, charitable, governmental, or community organization;
  8. Unsolicited gifts from dignitaries from another state or foreign country that are intended to be personal in nature.
  9. Other specific exclusions listed in RCW 42.52.150(1)(c), including discounts to broad-based groups, items returned or donated within 30 days, and campaign contributions reported under (RCW Title 29B.

The presumption that all items above are presumed not to influence an employee may be overcome based upon the circumstances surrounding the giving and acceptance of the particular item.

400.25.30 The term "Gift" as contained in District policy 400.25.10 above, does not include the following:
RCW 42.52.150 (c) Items received from family and friends if the clear purpose was not to influence the employee;

  1. Customary items related to an employee's outside business;
  2. Items exchanged at social events by co-workers;
  3. Reasonable expenses (travel, room, and meals) for a speech or seminar;
  4. Items returned or donated to charity within 30 days;
  5. Campaign contributions reported under RCW 42.17;
  6. Discounts available to employees as members of a broad base group;
  7. Other exclusions as specifically provided in RCW 42.52.150.

400.26 Honoraria   (RCW 42.52.130)

Seattle College District employees may accept an honorarium or a retainer as a consultant of an organization as long as the resulting relationship does not detract from or interfere with duties and obligations to SCD and meets the requirements of the Ethics in Public Service Act. For the purposes of this policy, "honorarium" means money or things of monetary value offered for a speech, appearance, article or similar item or activity in connection with the employee's official role.

Permission to receive honoraria may not be granted under any of the following circumstances:

  1. The person offering the honorarium is seeking or is reasonably expected to seek a contractual relationship with or a grant from SCD, and the employee is in a position to participate in the terms or awarding of the contract or grant;
  2. The person offering the honorarium is supporting or opposing an SCD regulation or action, and the employee may participate in the enactment or adoption; or
  3. The person offering the honorarium (i) is seeking or opposing or is reasonably likely to seek or oppose enactment of legislation or adoption of administrative rules or actions, or policy changes by the state officer's or state employee's agency; and (ii) the officer or employee may participate in the enactment or adoption.

Honoraria may not be received unless specially authorized by the Chancellor or applicable campus President prior to undertaking the activity for which an honorarium is to be paid (See procedure 400).

400.27 Use of State Resources For Personal Benefit

A state employee may not use state resources (the office, money, time, property or personnel) for personal benefit or to benefit another person/organization except when authorized by WAC 292-110-010 and when the Chancellor, a college president, or designees have authorized the limited use of state resources to support, promote, or solicit on behalf of charitable organizations.

400.28 Confidential Information (RCW 42.52.050)

400.28.1 No state employee may accept employment or engage in any business or professional activity that the employee might reasonably expect would require or induce them to disclose confidential information acquired by the employee by reason of the employee's official position.

400.28.2 No state employee may disclose confidential information gained by reason of the employee's official position or otherwise use the information for their personal gain or benefit or the gain or benefit of another.

400.28.3 No state employee may disclose confidential information to any person not entitled or authorized to receive the information. See also SCD Policy 254, Access to Public Records.

400.28.4 No state officer or state employee may intentionally conceal a record if the officer or employee knew the record was required to be released under chapter 42.56 and 42.52.050 RCW, was under a personal obligation to release the record, and failed to do so. This subsection does not apply where the decision to withhold the record was made in good faith.

400.29 Employment After Public Service (RCW 42.52.080)

400.29.1 A former state employee may not accept employment or compensation from an employer within one year of leaving state employment, if all three of the following conditions are present:

  1. The employee during the two years immediately preceding termination of state employment, was engaged in the negotiation or administration on behalf of the state or agency of one or more contracts with that employer and was in a position to make discretionary decisions affecting the outcome of such negotiation or the nature of such administration;
  2. The contract(s) had a total value in excess of $10,000;
  3. The duties of the employment with the employer or the activities for which the compensation would be received include fulfilling or implementing, in whole or in part, the provisions of such a contract or contracts or include the supervision or control of actions taken to fulfill or implement, in whole or in part, the provisions of such a contract or contracts. This subsection shall not be construed to prohibit a state officer or state employee from accepting employment with a state employee organization.

400.29.2 No person who has served as a state officer or state employee may, within a period of two years following the termination of state employment, have a beneficial interest in a contract or grant that was expressly authorized or funded by specific legislative or executive action in which the former state officer or state employee participated.

400.29.3 No former state employee may accept an offer of employment or receive compensation from an employer if the officer or employee knows or has reason to believe that the offer of employment or compensation was intended, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, to influence the officer or employee or as compensation or reward for the performance or nonperformance of a duty by the officer or employee during the course of state employment.

400.29.4 No former state officer or state employee may accept an offer of employment or receive compensation from an employer if the circumstances would lead a reasonable person to believe the offer has been made, or compensation given, for the purpose of influencing the performance or nonperformance of duties by the officer or employee during the course of state employment.

400.29.5 No former state officer or state employee may at any time subsequent to their state employment assist another person, whether or not for compensation, in any transaction involving the state in which the former state officer or state employee at any time participated during state employment. This subsection shall not be construed to prohibit any employee or officer of a state employee organization from rendering assistance to state officers or state employees in the course of employee organization business.


Adoption Date : 1995/06/06
Revision Date : 2026/06/11