If a supervisor's order conflicts with law or policy, what should you do?

If a supervisor's order conflicts with law or policy, what should you do?

• A. Seek clarification, refuse to execute unlawful/unethical orders, and escalate through proper channels.
• B. Follow the order regardless
• C. Do nothing
• D. Report after leaving

Answer: (A)

When an order from a supervisor conflicts with the law or policy, the correct approach is to seek clarification, refuse to execute unlawful or unethical orders, and escalate through the proper channels. This protects you, your colleagues, and the public by ensuring actions stay within legal and policy boundaries. If the order is unclear, ask for specifics to resolve the ambiguity. If it remains unlawful or unethical, you must decline to comply and explain why. Then you should escalate to the next level in the chain of command or to the appropriate oversight or legal counsel per agency policy, and document what happened and your responses. This creates a clear record and supports accountability and corrective action. This approach avoids proceeding with illegal or unethical actions, which could put people at risk or expose you to discipline, and it prevents delays in addressing the issue by delaying or ignoring it.

When an order from a supervisor conflicts with the law or policy, the correct approach is to seek clarification, refuse to execute unlawful or unethical orders, and escalate through the proper channels. This protects you, your colleagues, and the public by ensuring actions stay within legal and policy boundaries.

If the order is unclear, ask for specifics to resolve the ambiguity. If it remains unlawful or unethical, you must decline to comply and explain why. Then you should escalate to the next level in the chain of command or to the appropriate oversight or legal counsel per agency policy, and document what happened and your responses. This creates a clear record and supports accountability and corrective action.

This approach avoids proceeding with illegal or unethical actions, which could put people at risk or expose you to discipline, and it prevents delays in addressing the issue by delaying or ignoring it.