Ethics Review Concludes NLRB Program is Strong and Fully Compliant

Board’s Comprehensive Review Recommends Changes to Address Potential Gaps and Ensure Full Transparency

The NLRB released its Ethics Recusal Report, outlining the Board’s 18-month comprehensive review of its ethics policies and procedures. The report, issued by Chairman John F. Ring, concludes that the Agency’s ethics program for Board member recusals is strong and fully compliant with all applicable government ethics requirements.

“This was a significant undertaking that the Board took very seriously because ensuring the highest ethical standards is one of the most important things we do,” said Chairman Ring. “Unless those who rely on the Board can have complete confidence in its fairness, impartiality and integrity, we are not doing our job.”

The report explains the systematic steps the Board undertook to ensure confidence in the Agency’s procedures, including consulting with the Office of Government Ethics and benchmarking with other federal agencies. The report details the findings and recommendations of the review, including the conclusion that the NLRB’s current practices for identifying conflicts, establishing screening procedures, and obtaining advice from the Designated Agency Ethics Official, provide strong protections against conflicts of interest in the Board’s adjudicative and rulemaking responsibilities. Based on the thorough review, the Board identified potential gaps and other areas for improvement and has approved changes to address them.

A full copy of the Report, which includes a letter from Chairman Ring, a statement from Member Lauren McFerran, and the Report’s related appendices, is available here.

Established in 1935, the National Labor Relations Board is an independent federal agency that protects employees and employers from unfair labor practices and protects the right of private sector employees to join together, with or without a union, to improve wages, benefits and working conditions. The NLRB conducts hundreds of workplace elections and investigates thousands of unfair labor practice charges each year.

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