Ethics Training
Our office is currently finalizing the ethics training schedule, which will be rolling out in the very near future. Training will be completed exclusively through this online program and will be required of all state officers, employees, and special state appointees. Ethics Officers and Human Resources representatives will be the primary points of contact at the agency level for employees. The OIG will be holding training sessions for the EOs and HR reps prior to enrolling each of the individual agencies to help familiarize them with the process and reporting responsibilities which will be delegated to them. Please be on the look out for future communications from this office concerning the times and locations of these sessions. In the meantime, please direct any employees with ethics training questions, including new hires, to the Ethics Code link to the right to review the rules and examples we have made available online.

Gifts
As the holiday season descends upon us, so too will gifts from vendors and customers alike and the resulting questions regarding the permissibility of accepting them. As employees or vendors approach you with such questions, these few key points will hopefully help guide you in dispensing ethics advice:

• The Gifts Rule prohibits the receiving of any gift by employees or special appointees from anyone who has a business relationship with the agency or who is seeking to influence an action by the employees or appointees in their official capacities. This is true regardless of the value of the gift unless it falls under one of the exceptions listed in the rule.
• In the past, agencies have found a great deal of success in sending friendly memos to vendors and contractors with whom they have business relationships, reminding them of the impact of this rule and requesting them to forego sending any gifts over the holiday season. In the event your agency still receives a prohibited gift, you may donate it or give it away to avoid violating this rule.
• You will find the entire text of the Gift Rule, including its exceptions, under 42 IAC 1-5-1 which can be found on our website at www.in.gov/ig/codecomplete.