Ethics & Conflict of Interest Information

Ethics & Conflict of Interest Law for Municipal Employees

The Conflict of Interest Law, M.G.L. Ch 268A, was provided to prevent conflicts between private interests and public duties, foster integrity in public service and promote the public's trust and confidence in that service by placing restrictions on what municipal employees may do on the job, after hours and after leaving public service. Visit the online Conflict of Interest Law Course.

All municipal employees will receive the Summary of the Conflict of Interest Law within 30 days of their initial hire date, as well as once a year thereafter. Employees are required to sign a receipt acknowledging they have been provided the Summary of the Conflict of Interest Law and return it to the Office of the Town Clerk as soon as possible.

Another educational tool provided by the State Ethics Commission is a short twenty-question, multiple-choice, online training program that presents certain scenarios in which an ethical quandary has been presented and the test taker must choose the proper course of action. A completion certificate must be printed out at the end of the quiz and a copy handed to the Office of the Town Clerk (we highly recommend that you keep a copy in your own files). This must be done within 30 days by new employees and also once every two years from inception forwards.

While this should not be a substitute for legal advice, employees can obtain free confidential advice about how the conflict of interest law may apply to them via the State Ethics Commission:

State Ethics Commission
One Ashburton Place, Room 619
Boston, MA 02108
Phone: 617-371-9500
Fax: 617-723-5851 

To file a complaint if you believe someone has violated the conflict of interest law, please call an Investigator at 617-371-9500. To electronically file a document related to an Adjudicatory Proceeding, e-mail Legal.