ABSTRACT
This chapter is concerned with the ethical standards, rights, and responsibilities of employees in government agencies and nonprofit organizations. Managers, of course, have these rights and responsibilities too. In addition, they must take care to uphold the rights of their employees while at the same time ensuring that the work of their agencies gets done. Courts, as well as legislatures and chief executives, have been active in defining restrictions on public employee behavior on and off the job. Public policies in this area involve balancing the individual liberties enjoyed by government and nonprofit workers as other citizens with restrictions needed to ensure agency competence, professionalism, and credibility. How the proper balance is defined affects the ways these employees may and may not participate in politics. The balance of rights and responsibilities also affects the behavior and image that these employees must maintain in the community. There is an expectation that all employees will be honest and hard-working.
