Tuesday, November 17, 2009

PRC ethics survey yields interesting results

Even Public Regulation Commission officials admitted that the information they likely would get from a survey of agency employees about ethics might not be the most flattering.

Whether they expected the results to show that 85 percent of those polled had seen unethical behavior at the agency in the past year, or that about half had been asked to do something unethical by a supervisor is unknown. What is known is that training is coming to the beleaguered agency.

The survey is just the tip of the iceberg, though, in terms of information that some say could fix up the PRC. The agency today plans to release some of the comments that employees wrote on their surveys. Still, the agency plans to black out some information, making many wonder what there is to hide.

Here's a look at the survey's raw data, as provided by the PRC.

WHAT IS ETHICS
1.  What does the word "ethics" mean to you?
see surveys
2.  Do you think you could spot potential problems with ethics in the Agency?
yes 106 no 6
3.  Have you observed any ethical issues/violations at the Agency within the last year?
yes 100 no 17
4.  Does management provide adequate information/training on ethical issues?
yes 14 no 106
5.  Do you feel that as an employee of the PRC your are aware and understand what "ethical" rules
    the staff and the Commissioners need to follow?
yes 78 no 35
6.  Have you ever received any training from management at the PRC regarding what is ethical and
     what is not in your position?
yes 24 no 92
7.  Have your ever been asked to do anything you felt was unethical by someone who has
      supervisory or managerial power over your position at the PRC?
yes 51 no 50
8.  Do you think that there is a different ethical standard for Commissioners,
      exempt employees and classified employees?
yes 97 no 24
PERCEPTION
1.  How do you think the PRC is perceived by the public?  Rate on a scale of 1-5
1 2 3 4 5
3 3 13 33 70
Ethical Unethical
2.  How do you think the PRC is perceived by the regulated entity?  Rate on a scale of 1-5
1 2 3 4 5
1 10 37 31 39
Ethical Unethical
3.  How do you think the PRC is perceived by the employees?  Rate on a scale of 1-5
1 2 3 4 5
3 4 22 30 62
Ethical Unethical
4.  Please rank the following issues in order of which of the issues raises the greatest concern to you as related topics at the PRC.
#1 would be of the most concern to you and needs the most improvement,  #2 second most etc.
      1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
Political Partisanship   45 18 18 5 6 5 5 5 2 5
Personal use of state time 22 10 12 22 16 8 6 2   8
Influence by regulated industries 21 9 8 13 10 12 13 10 1 8
Hiring and promotional practices 73 23 13 6 1 1 1     3
Use of computers and state equip 11 7 4 3 15 13 18 17 2 9
Unequal treatment of employees 49 24 14 10 3   1     5
Expense reporting   18 5 3 5 16 13 16 16 2 10
Time reporting   17 7 8 8 10 19 7 16   7
Other   ***                    
*** 22 see comments
CONFIDENTIALITY
1.  Would you feel comfortable reporting unethical behavior by an employee if you were told
      it would be kept confidential?
yes 38 no 81
2.  Do you feel that you could confidentially discuss concerns with someone in this Agency?
yes 31 no 84
SITUATION QUESTIONS - These are hypothetical
1.  Your supervisor asks you to look the other way when he/she allows another employee to
      take off early every day and not report it on their timesheets.
ethical 1 unethical 125 I don't know 4
2.  Your boss takes you out to lunch.
ethical 61 unethical 19 I don't know 25
3.  A regulated entity tells you that they will buy you dinner if you fast track their paperwork.
ethical 0 unethical 117 I don't know 2
4.  An employee of a regulated entity asks you out on a date.
ethical 19 unethical 54 I don't know 30
5.  Your friend asks you to get their paperwork due to the PRC processed more quickly that the regular guy.
ethical 11 unethical 95 I don't know 7
6.  A regulated entity takes you out to dinner and you pay for yours.
ethical 77 unethical 22 I don't know 15
7.  Working against the PRC agenda at the Legislature on work time.
ethical 5 unethical 91 I don't know 10
8.  Helping a regulated entity to get copies of the documents they need that have been filed in a case file.
ethical 43 unethical 45 I don't know 18
9.  A member of a regulated entity asks you to pass on confidential case information.
ethical 2 unethical 105 I don't know 9
10.  An employee does not report time they have taken off on their time sheet.
ethical 1 unethical 113 I don't know 16
11. An employee is consistently taking more than one hour for lunch and not reporting it.
ethical 2 unethical 98 I don't know 16
12.  A Commissioner asks you to do a special favor for a regulated entity.
ethical 5 unethical 85 I don't know 23
13.  A fellow employee is working for a regulated entity as a second job.
ethical 6 unethical 73 I don't know 22
14.  An employee of a regulated entity gives you a kitten.
ethical 32 unethical 31 I don't know 52
15.  An employee of the PRC gives an employee of a regulated entity a car.
ethical 15 unethical 78 I don't know 23
16.  An employee is passing on false information about a fellow employee in order to keep
       them from getting a promotion.
ethical 1 unethical 100 I don't know 2
17.  Volunteering to work on a Commissioner’s campaign.
ethical 38 unethical 35 I don't know 36
18.  Employees are taking walks together and visiting during their lunch hours.
ethical 99 unethical 2 I don't know 7

No comments:

Post a Comment