University Policies

As a GW employee, you are an important part of a team of individuals, who through their work, both engage and impact the local community and the world on a daily basis. To support you in achieving your work-related goals, the university provides a variety of tools and resources that can help you to navigate through administrative processes and policies. It is your responsibility as an employee to familiarize yourself with these policies as they relate to you and those around you.

Please review university policies, ask questions of your manager or your HR Business Partner, apply the information as appropriate to your role, and utilize the resources based upon your interests and needs. While the university will track changes to policies and procedures, it reserves the right to modify policies with or without notice. As such, the website should be consulted regularly for the current and updates to information.

GW Policies - Code of Ethical Conduct

The George Washington University (“GW”) strives to create a positive and ethical environment and maintain the confidence of local, national and global communities. The university’s ethical culture has a profound effect on the experience of the GW community. For the university to maintain the desired ethical culture and public confidence, all persons acting on behalf of the university should maintain the highest level of ethics in all of their actions, and must comply with university policies as well as applicable laws and regulations. This Code of Ethical Conduct (“Code”) presents the standards of ethical conduct applicable to all persons acting on the university’s behalf.  The Code should be used as a general guide in making ethical decisions in all situations, including those where the “right” answer is not always clear. 

This Code aligns with and complements the GW Values and Service Framework. GW Values and Service Framework serves as a guiding force, shaping our everyday lives on campus and helping to ensure that we make decisions in the best interest of our university community. The components of the Code of Ethical Conduct are a reflection of GW’s long-standing commitment to upholding the highest ethical standards and compliance in all our professional and academic conduct.  These standards of ethical conduct are also incorporated into other codes of conduct and policies and procedures of the university.  These policies are created and maintained with the purpose of encouraging a culture of ethical, professional and lawful behavior and social responsibility.  They serve to uphold GW’s values and mission while protecting its people and reputation. Examples of key relevant policies that incorporate the ethical standards outlined in this Code are highlighted below.  A list of all policies can be found on the Office of Ethics, Compliance, and Privacy website.   

Employee Handbook

The Employee Handbook highlights various policies, guidance, and resources to assist staff. The Handbook applies to non-faculty, non-student staff employees of GW, including both regular staff and non-student, temporary employees.

Faculty Handbook

The Faculty Handbook provides GW faculty members with information on policies, resources, and events pertinent to their positions. Faculty members should also be familiar with the Faculty Code and any policies pertaining to their particular school.

Employment Eligibility and Verification

In order to comply with federal law, GW must verify that employees are eligible to work in the United States prior to starting work. University employees are required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility (I-9) form, commonly referred to as the I-9 form. It applies to U.S. citizens as well as non-U.S. citizens. Employees must complete Section 1 of the I-9 form on or before their first day of employment, and Section 2 within three business days of the date of employment. Completion of the I-9 is a condition of employment at GW and provides proof of eligibility to work in the United States and at the university.

Preventing Workplace Harassment

Fostering a culture of openness that embraces the GW Values is important for all members of the GW community. In order to support our shared values, we require employees to complete a training called "Harassment and Discrimination Prevention." This training is mandatory for all GW staff.

The primary goal of this course is to enable you to identify prohibited harassing behaviors, including sexual harassment. With this knowledge, you can help GW maintain an environment free from harassment, discrimination, and intimidation.

Important facts about the training program

• All GW employees are required to complete this online training.
• The training will take you approximately one hour to complete.
• Your progress will be automatically saved, so you can complete the training in multiple sessions.
• There is no hard copy or in-person component to this course for staff.
• New employees will receive an email notice with information on how to complete the course.

Accessing the Training

Faculty

New faculty will be automatically assigned the course in the Talent@GW system. Faculty may also access the course directly at http://go.gwu.edu/facultypshd.

Staff

New staff will be automatically assigned the course in the Talent@GW system. Staff may also access the course directly at http://go.gwu.edu/pshd.

Getting help

• Technical Help: For technical assistance accessing the module, please contact Talent@GW - Learning at [email protected].
• Other Help: If you have other questions or need additional information, please contact your HR Business Partner or the office of Talent and Organizational Development.