CN 1983-72 - Laserfiche WebLink

• COMMISSION ON ETHICS FOR PUBLIC EMPLOYEES DATED: October 28, 1983 FILED: October 28, 1983 ADVISORY OPINION NO. 83 -72 RE: Request for an advisory opinion concerning the legality of supervisors soliciting from their employees donations of food to be served at a function attended by persons other than those employees. The Commission has recently obtained information concerning a luncheon held in connection with the dedication of a State building. Most of the food served at this luncheon was supplied by employees of that Department. The arrangements for this luncheon were made by a group of the Department's supervisors. In order to assure that an • adequate quantity and variety of food would be available at this function, lists of foods to be supplied by the employees of the various offices in the Department were distributed. The supervisors were told to tell their employees that providing this food was purely voluntary. In fact, although most employees did participate in supplying food, many employees did not. Furthermore, not all of the requested items were supplied, and in some cases employees brought items other than those that were specified on the list given to their office. The luncheon was attended both by the employees and by several hundred other persons who were in attendance at the building's dedication. The Commission takes notice of the fact that certain functions such as staff birthday parties or parties in connection with holidays, such as Christmas parties, are traditional and accepted office practices. •