Do you think this is unethical?

[LauraMax]

I had to go to a mandatory ethics seminar yesterday (in Atlantic City--nothing like driving 4+ hours for a one hour seminar x( ). Most of it was pretty stupid & not new information (do I need someone from the state AG's office to tell me taking a bribe is illegal? DUH!).

But one thing I'd never heard before was, to supposedly protect myself, I should never let an associate buy me lunch or dinner. This is kind of a gray area for me b/c I have a lot of relationships that have evolved from professional to personal, so I might meet someone for lunch or dinner just for pleasure with whom I happened to have a professional relationship. S/he might buy, I might buy, typically we take turns b/c splitting the check or getting separate checks are a PIA.

The actual law is you can't accept any gifts--be it food, drink, or something more tangible--that costs more than $50. But yesterday I was told that to avoid any possible perception of impropriety I should always pay for my own meals myself, no matter what the situation.

So now what? Am I supposed to be paranoid every time I have a meal w/a colleage? NJ govmt is getting so ridiculous!

 

[SRP]

Yes, paranoia is rampant. My thought is that if you know each other well enough and enjoy the company outside of work, then heck yeah, it's okay to treat a friend to a meal. But if you're meeting to discuss business, buy your own. I don't know. Life is pretty ridiculous nowadays.

 

[crazystepr]

Ah yes, another example of Americans trying to cover their arses because lawsuits are everywhere. I get the point that NJ gvt. is trying to make, but you can't always go by the book. Sometimes you have to use common sense and personal judgement to determine the best course of action in a situation like this. Some of the best friends I have ever had (and still have) started as professional relationships.

Allison

http://www.picturetrail.com/allisonj90

 

[pippa]

My DH is an attorney and NEVER lets anyone he doesn't currently work with pay for anything. There is just too much risk involved. He is currently an in-house attorney but he still has several friends from when he worked in firms. If any of his friends were to pay and then happen to mention it to anyone else that firm would then be able to purport to my husband's current employer that they now have a 'business relationship.'

It's definitely a gray area but it can put you in a very risky position, depending on how others view it.

 

[Gayle]

We're seeing the professional ethics issue raised quite a bit as well. I think the financial aid scandal that came to light last spring has caused a crack down on anything that might be perceived as a kick-back.

 

[marnold]

That has been the rule with the Federal Government for years...

 

[LauraMax]

Actually the feds & the state have the same rule--nothing <$50. One of the speakers was an attny for Corzine when he was a Senator & she referred to it several times.

I just think it's nuts that I have to be constantly looking over my shoulder b/c I never know WHAT will be construed as inappropriate or illegal anymore. If I meet one of our RE developers who I've befriended for drinks & s/he buys me a glass of wine, am I gonna end up on the front page of our local rag? Insanity, I tell you! x(

 

[lainiefig]

My DH is a partner in a big international accounting firm and he has a ton of rules to follow to maintain independence from the clients or even the appearance of impropriety. I think a lot of this is about avoiding even that "appearance" of anything in case anyone ever starts looking for legal trouble. We had to pay a fine before he could make partner because of a little bit of money I had in a mutual fund that I got way back at a previous job (like a decade ago). We just had that money sitting there (and it wasn't much) and practically forgot about it, though we closed it out last year. As it turns out, it's a client of the firm so even though we'd closed it, we were punished for not closing it sooner.

OK, not sure if I'm making sense. I am not the accountant of the family.

[font face="comic sans ms" font color=purple]***Lainie***
My fitness blog: http://fitnessfig.blogspot.com/ http://bestsmileys.com/exercising/7.gif[/font]