Section 430.50  Cooperation with OIG Investigations

a)         All Department and private agency employees, foster parents and owners, operators and employees of licensed child care facilities shall cooperate with the OIG. Cooperation includes, but is not limited to:

1)         permitting full access to, and production of, information and records in accordance with this Part. Information and records can be shared with the OIG without violating confidentiality provisions;

2)         fair and honest disclosure of documents and information reasonably requested by the Inspector General in the performance of his/her duties;

3)         management encouraging employees to fully comply with reasonable requests of the Inspector General in the performance of his/her duties;

4)         management prohibiting retaliation against employees for providing information or records or complaining to the Inspector General;

5)         management being prohibited from requiring employees to seek supervisory approval prior to filing a complaint with, or providing information or records to, the Inspector General;

6)         employees providing complete and truthful answers to questions; and

7)         employees not willfully interfering or obstructing the OIG investigation.

b)         Failure to cooperate with an OIG investigation may result in discipline, up to and including discharge, or other sanction.

c)         Any person who fails to appear in response to a subpoena issued by the OIG or to answer any question or produce any books or papers relevant to an investigation conducted in accordance with this Part, or who knowingly gives false testimony in relation to such investigation, is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. The power to subpoena or to compel the production of books and papers, however, shall not extend to the person or documents of a labor organization or its representatives insofar as the person or documents of the labor organization relate to the function of representing an employee subject to an investigation under this Part [20 ILCS 505/35.5(g)].

d)         Union representation, in conformance with Article IX, Section 6(b) of the AFSCME Agreement with the State of Illinois, dated July 1, 2000-June 30, 2004, shall not be considered obstruction.