| September 1999 |
New LM ethics survey, code of conduct distributed to employees
ORNL staff members are getting another chance to participate in a Lockheed Martin ethics survey. The survey is a corporate-wide exercise that is very similar to the last ethics survey, completed in 1997, says ORNL Ethics Officer Steve Stow.
Employees will also receive a new code of conduct in the form of a pocket-sized spiral bound booklet, titled Setting the Standard. Some of the revisions are significant.
“In the past, gifts and gratuities could only be accepted if they were valued at $20 or less. That has been revised upward to a market value of $100 or less for most employees,” Stow says. “The guidance on conflict of interest is also more specific. Those are two areas where I get many inquiries.”
Although completion of the ethics survey, which is due by October 15, is voluntary, Stow hopes for a broad participation. He notes that this survey will be particularly useful because employees will be able to compare results, as the Lockheed Martin Energy Research business unit, to 1997, a breakdown surveys before the contract split didn’t provide.
The survey will also be clearer on other counts. “Company,” as in “company satisfaction,” will refer to ORNL or LMER rather than all Lockheed Martin corporate activities in Oak Ridge.
“Responses from 1997 were unclear as to what people meant or thought the survey meant by the term ‘company.’ This time around it should be clear that the survey is referring to the Lab,” Stow says.
The survey of 1997 showed that, while ORNL employees expressed a high degree of job satisfaction, attention was needed toward building morale, company satisfaction and management communication. This year’s ethics training focused on building trust, which the 1997 survey indicated as a corporate-wide area of improvement. ORNL achieved 100 percent participation in ethics training in July.
The new ethics surveys were distributed in August. The new revised code of conduct, Setting the Standard, is being distributed to all employees through their division offices, which will maintain the signature lists of those who receive them.—B.C.
We want to take this opportunity to thank ORNL staff for their participation in the recent ethics awareness training, which went well and was well received by everyone. ORNL reached 100 percent participation right on schedule.
One of the reasons we had an early deadline for the training is that the corporation plans another survey on ethics and business conduct this fall. You may recall that two years ago such a survey was conducted and there were several areas where ORNL, as well as the corporation, did not measure up to the standards as we would like.
This year the survey will be similar to previous ones. We hope it will show improvement in certain areas. We want to emphasize the importance of each ORNL staff member participating in the survey and taking the time to provide honest and thoughtful answers to the questions. The survey is conducted by the Ethics Resource Center, an independent organization, and your completed forms should be sent back to ERC by October 15 in the preaddressed envelope.
By the time you receive this issue of ORNL Reporter, both the survey and the new version of Setting the Standard, the Code of Ethics and Business Conduct should be in distribution through your division. Please take time to read the survey and to read the new code. Both are important in helping to ensure that we manage ORNL in the best way we possibly can. Thanks for your attention to this request.
Thanks for Participating
Director
Deputy Director
Deputy Director
