Outside Employment
- Details
- Parent Category: Code of Ethics
Incompatible Interests
The Code of Ethics prohibits officials and employees from holding investments in any financial, business, commercial, or other private transaction that creates a conflict with and adversely affects the official’s or employee’s duties to the detriment of the City. It also prohibits officials or employees from engaging in or accepting private employment or rendering serves for private interests when the employment is adverse to and incompatible with the proper discharge of the official’s or employees’ official duties.
Example: A plan review specialist may not operate a construction company within the City of Atlanta when he must submit plans to his agency for approval.
Example: A police officer cannot work inside an adult entertainment club or represent the club in challenging a city-issued citation.
Example: A member of the License Review Board cannot work as a real estate broker and represent restaurant owners seeking liquor licenses from the City.
Confidential Information Cannot be Used
Employees may not use confidential information acquired in an official capacity to solicit business for a private company.
Example: Employees may not use internal departmental records to solicit plumbing work for their own private company when the records are not available to the general public.
City Property Cannot be Used
Employees may not operate their private business on city time or use city resources to operate the business.
Example: An air cargo operator cannot use the department's password-protected software to market his services to other airports to improve their air cargo operations.
Department Heads Must Approve
In addition, the Civil Service Code requires department heads to approve all outside jobs and imposes several other conditions:
- The employment cannot interfere with the employee’s performance of his duties.
- The employment cannot involve a conflict of interest.
- The employment cannot involve the performance of duties that the employee
should perform as part of his or her city employment. - The employment cannot occur during regular working hours.
- The employment cannot involve the use of city records or equipment.
Outside Employment of Senior Management
The Code of Ethics gives the board responsibility for approving any outside employment of persons who work as department heads, deputy department heads, and bureau directors. The request must be in writing and state the type of employment, employer’s name and address, and proposed work hours.