Behaviour at Work

1.1 We must all behave with civility towards others.

1.2 Rudeness or abuse of any description cannot be tolerated from or towards other members of staff, councillors or members of the public.

1.3 Everyone must all use our best endeavours to promote the interest of the Council.

1.4 Involvement in activities, which could be construed as being inappropriate to the position of a person working in the public sector will be the subject of discussion with you and may lead to disciplinary proceedings.

1.5 Confidential information regarding the Councils business must not be disclosed to anybody either during or after the termination of your employment.

1.6 All reasonable instructions from your line-manager are to be carried out.

1.7 Intoxication at work either as a result of alcohol or drugs will result in disciplinary action.

1.8 Any incidence of harassment, abuse, victimisation or intimidation will be investigated and sanctions imposed on the perpetrator(s) through the proceedings open to the Council by its internal processes or in law.

Standards

2.1 Local government employees are expected to give the highest possible standard of service to the public, and where it is part of their duties, to provide appropriate advice to councillors and fellow employees with impartiality.  Employees will be expected, through agreed procedures and without fear of recrimination, to bring to the attention of the appropriate level of management any deficiency in the provision of service.  Employees must report to the appropriate manager any impropriety or breach of procedure.

Alcohol and Drugs

3.1 You should not at any time bring onto the Council premises any alcohol or drugs (other than those prescribed by your doctor).

Disclosure of Information

4.1 It is generally accepted that open government is best. Legislation requires that certain types of information must be available to members, auditors, government department, service users and the public. Generally the Council will only restrict discussion about Confidential Personal and Commercial matters (Data Protection Act 1998 & the Freedom Of Information Act 2000) and be open about all other matters in the course of conducting its business.

Statements to the Press/Media

5.1 You must not make any statements to the press or media without the prior clearance and authority of the Council unless you are otherwise authorised by the Council’s Communications Policy.

Confidentiality

6.1 Any information which:

• Is or has been acquired by you during or in the course of your employment, or has otherwise been acquired by you in confidence ;
• Has not been made public by the Council, or you have been authorised to disclose: –

shall be confidential and, unless required by law, you shall not, either before or after the termination of your employment disclose such information to any person without the prior written prior written consent.

6.2 You shall exercise reasonable care to keep safe all documents or other material containing confidential information, and on the termination of your employment, or at any other time, upon demand return to us any such material in your possession.

Political Neutrality

7.1 Employees serve the authority as a whole.  It follows they must serve all councillors equally and must ensure that the individual rights of all councillors are respected.

7.2 Subject to the Council’s conventions, employees may also be required to advise political groups. They must do so in ways which do not compromise their political neutrality.

7.3 Employees, whether or not politically restricted, must follow every lawful expressed policy of the authority and must not allow their own personal or political opinions to interfere with their work.

Relationships – Councillors

8.1 Employees are responsible to the Council as a whole. For some, their role is to give advice to councillors and managers and all are there to carry out the authority’s work.  Mutual respect between employees and councillors is essential to good local government.  Close personal familiarity between employees and individual councillors can damage the relationship and prove embarrassing to other employees and councillors and should therefore be avoided. Both parties are expected to conduct their relationship in an impartial manner.

The Local Community and Service Users

9.1 Employees should always remember their responsibilities to the community they serve and ensure courteous, efficient and impartial service delivery to all groups and individual within that community as defined by the policies of the authority.

Contractors

10.1 All relationships of a business or private nature with external contractors, or potential contractors, should be made known to the Town Clerk.  Orders and contracts must be awarded on merit, by fair competition against other tenders, and no special favour should be shown to businesses run by, for example, friends, partners or relatives in the tendering process.  No part of the local community should be discriminated against.

10.2 Employees who engage or supervise contractors or have any other official relationship with contractors and have previously had or currently have a relationship in a private or domestic capacity with contractors, should declare that relationship to the Town Clerk.

10.3 In certain cases the Town Clerk may deem it necessary to withdraw a staff member from a ordering or tendering process or from being involved in supervising a contractor with whom they may have a prejudicial relationship.

Appointment and other Employment Matters

11.1 Employees involved in appointments should ensure that these are made on the basis of merit. In order to avoid any possible accusation of bias, employees should not be involved in an appointment where they are related to an applicant, or have a close personal relationship outside work with him or her. Employees must disclose any cases where a relevant close relationship exists and must withdraw from the appointment process.

11.2 Similarly, employees should not be involved in decisions relating to discipline, promotion or pay adjustments for any other employee who is a relative, partner, etc.

Intellectual Property

12.1 Employees should take advice on the ownership of intellectual property or copyright created during their employment.

Trade Union Membership

13.1 You are under no obligation to join a Trade Union.
13.2 You are free to join or not join any Trade Union of your choice.
13.3 An employee who is an official of an independent Trade Union recognised by the employer must be granted time off to attend to duties
13.4 An employee who a learning representative of the trade union recognised by the employer must be granted time off under TULRCA 1992 s.168A, as inserted by s. 43 of the Employment Act 2002 for the purpose of analysis of learning and training needs, the provision of information and advice on learning and training matters, the promotion of the values of learning and training. The employers obligation to allow time off is subject to a reasonable test.

Personal Interests

14.1 Employees must declare to the Council or an appropriate officer any financial interests which could conflict with the Council’s interests. Employees should also declare to an appropriate officer membership of any organisation not open to the public without formal membership and commitment of allegiance and which has secrecy about rules or membership or conduct.

Discrimination and Equality issues

15.1 All Council employees should ensure that policies relating to equality issues as agreed by the Council are complied with in the spirit as well as the letter of the law. All members of the local community, customers and other employees have a right to be treated with fairness and equity.

Separation of Roles – Tendering

16.1 Employees involved with tendering processes must exercise fairness and impartiality when dealing with all customers, suppliers, other contractors and sub-contractors.
16.2 Employees who are privy to confidential information on tenders or costs for either internal or external contractors should not disclose that information to any unauthorised party or organisation.
16.3 Employees should ensure that no special favour is shown to current or recent former employees or their partners, close relatives or associates in awarding contracts to businesses run by them or employing them in a senior or relevant managerial capacity.

Corruption

17.1 Employees must be aware that is a serious criminal offence for them corruptly to receive or give any gift, loan, fee, reward or advantage for doing, or not doing, anything or showing favour, or disfavour, to any person in their official capacity. If an allegation is made it is for the employees to demonstrate that any such rewards have not been corruptly obtained and such allegations, if proven, will be treated as instances of gross misconduct.

Gifts, Gratuities and Hospitality

18.1 The Council’s general policy is to inform all staff and its agents, who are working on its behalf, that the offering of gifts and gratuities to any client or any other third party, to obtain a benefit or advantage is not permitted and will be treated as potential Gross Misconduct.
18.2 Similarly receiving gifts from suppliers, or any third party associated with the supplier, to obtain an advantage or benefit will be treated as potential Gross Misconduct.
18.3 However should an Employee or Agent of the Council feel that it is appropriate to offer gifts or hospitality to clients or to receive any gift or hospitality from suppliers, or any other third party, these are to be declared prior to the event to the Town Clerk.

Use of Financial Resources

19.1 Employees must ensure that they use public funds entrusted to them in a responsible and lawful manner. They should strive to ensure value for money to the local community.

Hospitality

20.1 Employees should only accept offers of hospitality if there is a genuine need to impart information or represent the local Council in the community.  Offersto attend purely social or sporting functions should be accepted only when these are part of the life of the community or where the authority should be seen to be represented. They should be properly authorised and recorded.

20.2 When hospitality has to be declined those making the offer should be courteously but firmly informed of the procedures and standards operating within the Council.

20.3 Employees should not accept significant personal gifts from contractors and outside suppliers, although you may keep insignificant items of token value such as pens, diaries, etc.

20.4 Acceptance by employees of hospitality through attendance at relevant conferences and courses is acceptable where it is clear the hospitality is corporate rather than personal, where the Council gives consent to attendance in advance and where purchasing decisions are not compromised.  Where visits to inspect equipment, etc. are required, employees should ensure that Council meet the cost of such visits to avoid jeopardising the integrity of subsequent purchasing decisions.

Sponsorship – Giving and Receiving

21.1 Where an outside organisation wishes to sponsor or is seeking to sponsor a Council activity, whether by invitation, tender, negotiation or voluntarily, the basic conventions concerning acceptance of gifts or hospitality apply. Particular care must be taken when dealing with contractors or potential contractors.
21.2 Where the Council wishes to sponsor an event or service neither an employee nor any partner, spouse or relative must benefit from such sponsorship in a direct way without there being full disclosure to an appropriate manager of any such interest. Similarly, where the Council through sponsorship, grants, aid, or by other means, gives support in the community, employees should ensure that impartial advice is given and that there is no conflict of interest involved.