Chapter 6.1.1 – Code of Conduct

Purpose

A Code of Conduct is a set of standards and behaviours that place a responsibility on all personnel to use sound judgement while at work or undertaking activities that may reflect on our employment with or by our company.

It aims to deliver best practice by ensuring those standards are clear and guided by sound ethics. By consistently applying these standards, we enhance public trust and confidence in each of us as individuals and our company. This Code does not interfere with your rights as a private citizen or a ratepayer.

The Code is not intended to cover every situation; however, the principles, values, ethics, standards and behaviours outlined are a reference point to help make decisions in situations that it does not directly cover. If you act in good faith and in keeping with the spirit of the Code, you can expect to be supported by our company and all of its officers.

Scope

All company employees; contractors and volunteers must be familiar with and follow the principles and content of the Code of Conduct.

The Code is concerned with the conduct and behaviour of its employees both at work and outside the workplace where particular behaviour may reflect on our company and its activities or in other circumstances where our actions may impact upon the public reputation and activities of our company.

To assist in interpretation, the following definitions shall apply:

• CEO – Chief Executive Officer
• Company

Employee Means employee:

• CEO – the chief executive officer; or a person holding a position for our company
• Contractor – A person or organisation who performs a specific act or acts including the provision of services and/or materials to another person or organisation under an agreement enforceable by law.
• Volunteer – Any person, who of their own free will, offers to undertake unpaid work for our company and is accepted as a Volunteer by the Chief Executive Officer and/or his authorised delegates
• Social custom – A practice followed by people of a particular group or region. For example, etiquette of the Japanese culture is that it is considered impolite to go to someone’s house or place of business without a gift, and that gift must be delivered in a particular method

Policy Statement

Our company must conduct all of its activities with integrity, honesty and fairness and comply with all relevant laws, regulations, codes and corporate standards.

Everyone working for our company must follow the highest standards of behaviour when dealing with customers and each other. The Company and Leadership Team must encourage a culture where ethical conduct is recognised, valued and followed at all levels.

Our company actively supports, encourages and develops its employees to work safely, be customer focused, use technology and other assets effectively, adapt to changes and improve their own capabilities and contribute to their Community, Corporate and Operational Plans.

Our company identifies five ethical principles fundamental to good administration that should guide our behaviour as company employees and form the basis for this Code of Conduct. The five principles are:

1. Integrity and impartiality;
2. Promoting the public good;
3. Commitment to environmental sustainability
4. Protecting company image and idiom; and
5. Accountability and transparency.

These principles, together with our company’s corporate values, form the basis of this Code of Conduct. They apply to all employees and guide our thinking, actions and decision-making.

The values we share as employees of our company are:

• Consistency and Fairness – we will deal with all issues, including the management of change by achieving the fairest outcome possible and by being consistent in our decision making
• Results – we are focused on achieving results and in creating value for customers Integrity and Honesty – we will operate with honesty and integrity, fostering transparency in whatever we do and promoting public trust and continued confidence
• Teamwork and Staff Development – we value collaborative effort by staff and are committed to encouraging professional development and learning as important across the organisation
• Inclusiveness and Fair Representation – we will listen to, respect the views of, strive to engage with and meet the reasonable expectations of our communities in a professional, compassionate and responsive manner
• Continuous Improvement and Innovation – we will achieve value for our communities by utilising more innovative, effective and efficient ways of producing results for our customers
• Accountability – in focusing on results and creating value for our customers, we own our successes and failures
• Leadership – we will demonstrate high standards of leadership in guiding the community to support and participate in achieving our company’s vision and mission

Principles

Integrity and Impartiality

Employees of our company accept and value their duty to provide advice which is objective, independent, apolitical and impartial; and show respect towards all persons, including employees clients and the general public.

Conflicts of Interest

When making decisions, you must declare any conflicts of interest that could affect your objectivity in carrying out your duties.

A conflict of interest involves a conflict between official duties and responsibilities in serving the organisation public interest and private interests. A conflict of interest can arise from avoiding personal losses as well as gaining a personal advantage – whether financial or otherwise. This includes advantages to relatives and friends.

If you believe you have a conflict of interest, whether real or perceived, notify your supervisor immediately. Until the matter is resolved, you must make sure you are removed from any decision-making processes related to the matter.

If you feel you have a conflict of interest between professional and corporate values, discuss it with your supervisor, the CEO is ultimately responsible for making a judgement on whether a conflict of interest exists or not.

Influences on decision making

You must not influence any person in an improper way with the aim to obtain personal advantage or favours. All decisions need to be, and be seen to be, fair and transparent. This can be achieved in a number of ways, including clear record keeping and showing how decisions were made.

You must not in any way misrepresent your qualifications, experience or expertise in any recruitment and selection process.

Gifts and benefits

Occasionally you may be offered gifts or benefits from contractors or members of the public with whom you do business.

It is an offence for an employee to ask for, or accept a fee or other benefit for doing something as a employee of our company.

The acceptance of gifts or benefits of a nominal value may be permitted in limited circumstances; however, as a rule, you must not accept any gifts or benefits if, there is a possibility that in doing so, you could create a real or perceived conflict of interest or be seen to be receiving a bribe.

Items given in accordance with social custom, which may include token gifts of appreciation or gifts of a symbolic nature such as clothing, alcohol, pens, provided that the value of any such item shall not exceed $100 (Inclusive of GST) at the time of receipt, do not identify as conflicts of interest. The provision of hospitality, which is within the bounds of normal customary hospitality, is acceptable.

If a staff member is presented with a gift, in accordance with social custom, that exceeds $100 (Inclusive of GST) at the time of receipt, the gift becomes the property of the company and the recipient of the gift must deliver the gift to the CEO as soon as possible. Any gift that exceeds $100, but less than $500 (Inclusive of GST), will be dealt with by CEO as he/she sees fit. If the gift exceeds $500 the company will deal it with. Without limiting the discretion of the CEO or our company in any way they may depending on the nature and value of the gift, decide to:

• keep the gift for company use;
• display the gift at an appropriate venue;
• donate the gift to a community organisation;
• sell or exchange the gift; or
• allow the original recipient to keep the gift.

In all cases, if the person or the CEO believes that the acceptance of any offer of a gift or benefit regardless of value could in any way be seen to compromise a person’s capacity to perform his/her duties impartially or to create an obligation, the offer should not be accepted.

Employment outside our company

It is not the company’s intention to stop people from holding secondary employment over and above your official duties as an employee. There is a requirement to declare and seek advice from your supervisor about any secondary employment you currently, or intend to, engage in.

Secondary employment must require CEO approval to remove any doubt that the employee’s actions in taking secondary employment may reflect inappropriately on our company. Approval for secondary employment is not a assured however, will generally be granted for you to undertake private employment outside of your normal working hours as long as the following requirements are met:

• That no Conflict of interest exists or develops, between private employment and your official duties; and
• That your private employment has no effect on the performance of your official duties. This includes effects from a safety/fatigue management perspective; and
• That your private employment does not involve the use of our company resources (physical, technological or intellectual).

Although you do not need written approval, if you undertake voluntary work or a hobby you also need to ensure that these activities meet the above requirements. If you are unsure, you should discuss this with your supervisor.

As with any matter which may result in a conflict of interest, the matter must be decided in the public interest.

Public comments on our company business

As a general rule, Councillors comment publicly on official business. Our company business can be topical, sensitive and controversial and there is a process to be followed when making public comments.

Staff communications with the media are subject to the following protocol:

• The CEO is the only staff member authorised to make comment to the media;
• Other employees may make comment to the media but only if first discussed with and approved by the CEO.

Refer to company’s Media Policy for more information and direction.

Privacy constraints

For authorised staff, you must also ensure that to the extent you collect, handle or give access to personal information, you comply with the company’s Privacy Policy.

External activities

Our company supports and is committed to ensuring all staff are free to engage in trade union, party-political, professional, interest group or charity activities of their choosing. However, you must make sure that your participation in such activities does not cause either a conflict of interest, and/or unduly restricts the performance of your official duties with our company.

You must not allow your involvement in any external organisation to intrude upon your duty, as a company employee, to give sound advice to our company that is objective, independent, apolitical and impartial.

You are not to take part in political affairs whilst on duty. Our company’s IT systems, including internet access and email,  newsletters and workplaces must not be used for political messages or circulating defamatory or disparaging remarks against individuals or groups.

If you comment publicly in connection with external activities, you must make a clear distinction between your opinion as a member of the external organisation, and your opinion as a our company employee.

You must not use your role in our company, our company information or information gained in the course of your official duties as an employee, to advance your position or standing within an external organisation, nor for the benefit or promotion of an external organisation. You must not provide our company information to members of other groups or related persons, except where this information is publicly available.

As a member of an external organisation, you need to be aware that participating in activities in the public arena, where you may be identified as a company employee, can give rise to a perception of conflict of interest in some circumstances. Where such a situation arises, you must declare and manage the conflict in accordance with this Code of Conduct.

Staff interaction

We must all treat each other with trust, respect, honesty, fairness, sensitivity and dignity. Employees who supervise or manage other employees have a special responsibility to model this kind of behaviour and to ensure that the people they supervise understand the standard of performance and behaviour that is expected of them.

Our company values diversity, and expects all its employees, contractors or volunteers to accommodate and respect different opinions and perspectives, and to manage interpersonal disagreements by rational debate. You must not behave towards any other person in a way that could be perceived as intimidating, overbearing or bullying, or that may constitute unwelcomed conduct of a sexual nature.

As an employee, you are required to use appropriate and courteous language in your communications to all with a view to promoting respect between individuals.

Effective teamwork is an essential part of a productive workplace culture. Each team member needs to work collaboratively with fellow employees and actively and willingly take part in team activities (e.g. Toolbox/team meetings).

Children and youth

For employees who work with children and young people in particular in regulated areas of employment as defined under the Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian Act 2000 and for those who may be required to work directly with children or young people during the course of their employment with our company, the following standards of behaviour towards children and young people need to be adhered to which include:

Language

• Use encouraging and/or positive words and in a pleasant tone of voice;
• Be open and honest when communicating; and
• For example it is not appropriate to; insult, criticise or name call; bully, swear or yell at a child or young person; and make sexually suggestive comments and/or jokes.

Relationships

• Be a positive role model;
• Build relationships based on trust;
• Empower children to share in decision making; and
• For example it is not appropriate to; show favouritism or gift giving; spend excessive amounts of time alone with children; contact outside of working hours (either physical or via email/phone); bully or harass; or act in a way which would give a reasonable person cause for concern that any meeting with the child or young person arising from the conduct would be for unlawful purposes.

Physical contact

• Allow for personal space;
• It is permissible to touch due to a medical emergency or to protect from physical harm;
• Should be non-threatening; and
• For example, it is not appropriate to; use violent or aggressive behaviour including hitting, kicking, slapping or pushing; and kiss or touch in a sexual nature.

Other behaviours

• Wear appropriate attire/clothing for your role;
• Use the internet and/or mobile phone for work-related purposes only; and
• For example, it is not appropriate to; wear inappropriate clothing, and send inappropriate emails or SMS messages.

Anti-Discrimination

Our company is an equal opportunity employer and takes a proactive approach in ensuring that its practices do not discriminate based on an attribute, or based on a persons association with another person who maintains an attribute relating to:

• race/ethnicity;
• gender;
• national origin;
• marital status;
• sexual preference/lawful sexual activity;
• age;
• disability/impairment, including infectious disease;
• industrial/employment activity;
• physical features;
• pregnancy;
• family responsibilities;
• religious beliefs;
• political conviction;
• breast feeding; or
• gender identity.

As an employee of our company we all have a shared responsibility to ensure that discrimination is not part of our workplace or our practices. If you witness discriminatory behaviour you have a moral obligation to report such actions to your supervisor or manager, or if such action involves your supervisor or manager, another senior officer or the Workforce and Strategy section. Proven cases of unlawful discrimination may lead to disciplinary or legal action taken against offending personnel.

Prevention of sexual or other workplace harassment

Our company is also committed to the prevention of any form of sexual harassment, victimisation or other forms of bullying in the workplace, or at any place where work-related activities are performed, including at social functions. This commitment applies to all employees in their relationships with each other, to applicants for employment at our company.

As an employee of our company it is expected that you proactively contribute to building a workplace that is free from sexual harassment; victimisation and bullying. You have a joint responsibility to respect the rights of fellow employees, by not taking part in any action that may constitute harassment of any form, and in doing so supporting and promoting the achievement of equal employment opportunity.

Some examples of behaviour which may constitute either sexual harassment or workplace bullying include:

• Acting towards, or speaking to a person in a manner which threatens or vilifies that person;
• Deliberately excluding a particular individual from relevant work-related activities or functions;
• Making jokes, suggestive comments or offensive gestures related to a person’s race, appearance, colour, ethnic origin, disability, gender, sexual characteristics, or personal appearance;
• Distribution or display of sexually explicit material (including through email) which may be offensive, including posters, pictures or MPEGs, racist or sexist jokes or cartoons;
• Persistent questions about a person’s private life;
• Personal comments about appearance, size, clothing;
• Demands for sexual favours, either directly or by implication;
• Unwanted and deliberate physical contact; and
• Indecent assault, rape and other criminal offences.

Promoting the Public Good

Employees of our company value and seek to achieve excellence in service delivery and value and seek to achieve enhanced integration of services to better serve clients. Operationally, this requires:

Customer service

As a company employee it is expected that you will strive to provide excellent customer service. You must treat members of the public equitably and with honesty, fairness, sensitivity and dignity.

You are expected to treat complaints from customers, and the community, or fellow employees, seriously and respond to constructive feedback as an opportunity for improvement.

Customers have a right to appropriately complain or criticise our company. Our company expects its employees to show respect towards complainants. While you must make all reasonable efforts to help customers lodge complaints, if you think a situation is threatening or intimidating, you are entitled to withdraw. If in doubt, ask for help from a more experienced colleague, or your supervisor. Our company will support any employee who believes they are under threat from a member of the public.

Our company’s image can be impacted by the presentation of staff. Our company requires its office-based employees to appear neat and tidy and maintain a professional business standard of dress. If you are unsure about what constitutes appropriate dress, please discuss this with your supervisor. Where you have been provided with company uniforms, you are required to wear all components of the uniform without alteration (other than alterations designed to ensure a proper fit) and ensure that uniforms are clean and tidy. If you have supervisory responsibilities you are expected to ensure that staff are appropriately presented at all times.

Fairness to suppliers

Our company has established procedures and delegations of authority for various stages of procurement of goods and services. You must comply with the company policy and procedures (relevant Governance and Finance policies) when seeking suppliers for goods or services.

In dealing with suppliers, you must ensure that you do not incur any liability or enter into any contract on behalf of our company, or alter the terms or conditions of any contract that our company has already entered, unless you are authorised to do so.

Intellectual property (IP)

Our company expects its employees to ensure that their actions do not breach or infringe the Copyright Act 1968 by unlawfully using the intellectual property of any individual or organisation.

You must respect the copyrights, trademarks and patents of suppliers and other organisations outside our company and including an obligation not to reproduce or quote suppliers’ material unless your licence specifically allows it. Similarly, you must not store or copy audio, video or image files, printed media and software on our company owned assets without an appropriate licence or approval. Where this is unclear, you must seek written approval before arranging to publish, disclose or reproduce any articles or materials as part of your official duties.

Any original work, invention or product you have contributed to in association with your official duties as a company employee remains the property of our company.

Similarly, you must not publish or disclose any matters relating to company intellectual property without appropriate authority. This does not stop you from sharing with other organisations information relating to your official duties; however, if you do, and if you are unaware of whether such action may breach this Code, you must first seek clarification from your supervisor or manager.

Commitment to environmental sustainability

In performing your duties at our company, you must ensure that you comply with your general environmental duty and where applicable, your duty to notify of environmental harm: Refer to Chapter 7, Part 1 of the Environmental Protection Act 1994.

Protecting company image and idiom

Our company expects its employees to act in a manner that reflects the exemplary reputation of its business operations and socially responsible idiom. Our company does not limit the responsibility of an employee to act independently of itself if the independence of an agency, entity or official is required by legislation, or is a customary feature of the work of the agency, entity or official. Operationally, this requires:

Acting lawfully

As an employee of our company, you are required to comply with applicable legislation, awards, certified agreements, company policies and local laws.

You have the right and responsibility to respectfully question how you do your work, particularly if you think there is an imminent risk to the safety of yourself or others, or there is a better way of doing something, or if you think that a direction may be in breach of the law. When you have recorded your suggestion or concern you are required to work as directed by your supervisor or manager, except where there is an imminent risk to safety. If the matter cannot be resolved within the workgroup, it should be immediately referred to your manager or the officer to whom the supervisor or manager who is delivering the instructions reports.

If you are charged with having committed any indictable offence, or are subject to an indictable offence conviction, or are subject to a summary conviction, you should immediately report the circumstances to your Manager. Such disclosure shall be treated as confidential.

Acting in accordance with delegations and signing documents on behalf of our company

If you are requested to undertake an action on behalf of the CEO or our company, prior to exercising any power on behalf of the CEO, you must ensure that the appropriate delegations are in place to your position and our company administrative delegations that allows you to exercise the power.

Raising concerns

You have the right to comment on or raise concerns with your supervisor or manager about company policies, practices or priorities where they impact on your employment; however, feedback must be provided in a respectful and constructive manner. Further, you must accept that our company has the right to determine its policy, practices and priorities and that you must comply with all reasonable and lawful instructions, whether or not you personally agree with a given policy direction.

When raising complaints or grievances, employees are expected to act with honesty and in good faith. Complaints that are considered vexatious or frivolous will not be progressed, and such complaints may be managed as acts of misconduct in accordance with the company Employee Performance Achievement Policy.

Privacy

Our company maintains information about individuals, businesses and commercial issues that is private and sensitive and which could be harmful to a person’s interest if released. Employees should only access personal information and records they require to perform their official  duties.

Employees must ensure that the collection, storage and use of personal information are done so in accordance with the Privacy Principles outlined pursuant to the Information Privacy Act 2009 and Company’s Privacy Policy.

As a general rule you can maintain privacy by:

not discussing work matters with persons not entitled to know such information;

taking responsibility to safeguard confidential files and information;

ensuring collected information is only used in a manner consistent with the purpose for which it was originally collected; and

ensuring that you comply with company policy in relation to maintaining the privacy of personal information.

It may be appropriate to share information based on personal and professional experience (e.g. in seminars or training programs); however in sharing experiences, you must ensure that where personal information is involved, you do not breach our company privacy obligations. You may breach this obligation even if comments are made or personal information other than your own is shared in your personal life, including via social media that may include (although is not limited to) ‘FaceBook’, ‘MySpace’, ‘Twitter’, ‘linked-in’, ‘Youtube’, ‘blogs’, ‘Bebo’ or ‘Yammer’ etc. It is essential that you understand that contents posted on social media platforms constitute a breach of this Code of Conduct and/or other company Policies.

Accountability and transparency

Our company is committed to exercising proper diligence, care and attention; and

• is committed to using public resources in an effective and accountable way; and
• is committed to managing information as openly as practicable within the legal framework; and
• value and seek to innovate and continuously improve performance.

Operationally, this requires:

Using our company assets

Our company assets include property, plant, equipment, information systems, computing resources, goods, products and/or valuables (this includes surplus material, waste material and off-cuts). All employees share the responsibility for looking after them.

If you are in charge of assets, you must take good care of them while they are in your possession or use and ensure they are used economically and efficiently. It is an offence to misuse or allow anyone else to misuse our company assets. You must make sure assets are secured against theft and properly stored, maintained and repaired.

You must ensure that you use our company assets only for official business, unless written approval has been granted. If you use company vehicles or a company issued mobile telephone for nonofficial purposes, you must ensure that your use is in accordance with  policy.

If your employment involves the driving of company vehicles or the operation of our company mobile plant and for any reason, your driver’s licence is suspended or permanently cancelled, you will not be permitted to operate company vehicles or mobile plant while you are unlicensed. This may require placement in alternative employment at the applicable classification. If a position is not available and depending upon the circumstances, you may be subject to disciplinary action and or be terminated.

Our company allows the limited personal use of electronic mail and World Wide Web browsing, subject to and in accordance with Company Information Technology policies.

Upon your employment terminating with the company, you must return all company property and work-related documents immediately.

Diligence, care and attention

Our company aims to conduct its business with integrity, honesty and fairness and to achieve the highest standards in service delivery. You contribute to this aim by carrying out your duties honestly, responsibly, in a conscientious manner and to the best of your ability.

This includes:

• maintaining punctuality and not being absent from your workstation/location during work time without reason;
• giving priority to official duties over personal activities during work time;
• ensuring you do not undertake personal work during work time;
• not wasting time chatting about personal matters and interrupting other staff;
• helping our company achieve its mission and goals by acting to improve systems and practices;
• conducting yourself in a way so others gain confidence and trust in the way our company does business;
• supporting your fellow employees in their work endeavours;
• not allowing your conduct to distract or prevent others from working; and
• not exposing our company to a judgment for damages against it, as a result of your negligence or breach of any law or policy;
• privately owned mobile phones and communication devices are to be turned off during work hours, unless:
• permission for use has been attained from the Supervisor, or
• in the case of urgent or emergency circumstances, or
• where the phone is required for the work at our company: e.g. contractors or volunteers using their own phone as a contact point, or
• it is a recognised work break such as lunch.

If you are responsible for managing or supervising others, you must also ensure that:

• you model the values and principles outlined in this Code and ensure that employees within your area of responsibility understand and comply with the Code;
• you do not come under a financial or personal obligation to any employee you supervise or manage;
• your work and the work of those you supervise contributes to the achievement of our company goals;
• employee performance is monitored and individuals are given constructive and regular feedback on their performance in line with procedures;
• where practicable, employees are given training opportunities to assist them in developing their careers;
• employees are provided with information that is vital for effective work performance;
• the opinions of employees are respected and considered;
• workloads are fairly distributed;
• resourcing for a work team is neither excessive nor inadequate for the job;
• employees who collect, handle or disburse public money are properly supervised;
• employee work times, overtime, allowances and absences are correctly recorded on time sheets and signed off when correct; and
• appropriate action is taken if breaches of this Code occur.

Attendance and absence from duty ​​

You are expected to follow our company employment and working arrangements, agreements and rulings on attendance at work and leave. This includes not being absent without approval and accurately and truthfully recording work and leave periods.

Our company operational efficiency depends on your punctuality and attendance at your workstation/location. If an employee is unable to attend work due to illness or injury, they must notify their supervisor in accordance with any relevant industrial instrument and/or our company Leave Policy.

If the employee is unable to reach their direct supervisor, they must contact the next line manager. The employee must make every reasonable effort to contact his direct line manager or another of their line managers.

Absence without approval and without a reasonable excuse can create concerns for your safety and lead to unproductive time for others. All employees have an obligation to ensure that they promptly notify our company as soon as practicable upon becoming aware that they are going to be absent from work. Failure to promptly notify our company may result in the non-payment of salary/wages for the period of absence and/or may result in our company taking disciplinary action.

Self-development

Our company employees have a continuing responsibility to maintain and enhance skills and expertise and keep up to date the knowledge associated with their approved area of work.

Our company will assist by providing equitable access to training and development opportunities. This may include accessing organisational instructional documentation, learning new work duties, participating in project work or undertaking internal or external training.

Workplace Health and Safety (WH&S)

Our company is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for our employees, contractors, volunteers and visitors to the workplace.

Our company’s primary Work Health & Safety objective is to eliminate or reduce risk by developing proactive strategies and adopting a risk management approach to Work Health & Safety in order to provide an injury/illness free workplace. We understand that creating and maintaining a safe and healthy working environment is a major part of our overall responsibilities, and we expect that all employees are responsible and accountable for their own health and safety.

Work Health & Safety duty statements have been developed and issued to all employees. Each Work Health & Safety duty statement outlines specific duties that must be followed.

• A worker, while at work, or another person at a workplace, whether or not the person has another duty, must:
• take reasonable care for his or her own health and safety;
• take reasonable care that his or her acts or omissions do not adversely affect the health and safety of other persons;
• comply, so far as the worker is reasonably able, with any reasonable instruction that is given by the ‘Person Conducting Business Undertaking’ (PBCU) to allow the person to comply with the Work Health and Safety Act 2011;
• cooperate with any reasonable policy or procedure of the ‘Person Conducting Business Undertaking’ (PBCU) relating to health or safety at the workplace that has been notified to workers;

Our company expect that all employees, contractors, volunteers and visitors to our workplaces follow safe work practices as prescribed under the legislation and in our policies and safe work procedures and that they make every effort to reduce the risk of injury to themselves and others.

Our company will provide adequate resources to manage and maintain health and safety together with regular training on workplace health and safety and expect our employees to attend.

Workplace Health and Safety is paramount and we all have a duty to ensure that we have a safe and healthy working environment and you must actively participate in workplace health and safety so that we can achieve this.

Drugs and alcohol

We must keep our workplace drug and alcohol free if we are to maintain a safe and efficient working environment. The use of drugs or alcohol can adversely affect productivity, attendance and on the job safety.

As such you must not:

• Use, possess or be impaired by the effects of illegal drugs whilst on duty;
• Come to work impaired by the effects of alcohol or drugs;
• Consume alcohol while on duty or in the workplace other than strictly in accordance with our company Policy;

Smoking

To provide a safe and healthy working environment for all workers, our company has adopted a Smoke-Free Workplace Policy and introduced Designated Smoking Areas at our company major work sites. The Designated Smoking Areas are identified with signage and have been determined based on legislative requirements.

As such you must not:

• Smoke anywhere within our company buildings, in our company vehicles, in any enclosed spaces whilst on site or within 6m of any part of an entrance to an enclosed place.

For more information refer to our company’s Smoke-Free Workplace Policy and Drug and Alcohol Policy and Procedure (Workers).

Gambling

You must not Gamble or bet on our company premises (except for authorised sweeps and tipping competitions).

Breaches

• Our company expects all employees to ensure they demonstrate the basic standards of acceptable conduct as enshrined in this Code. All employees have the responsibility to comply with this Code of Conduct and all other policies which implements and/or varies from time to time.
• A breach of the Code of Conduct damages business effectiveness, public perception of our company and interpersonal work relationships. Any act or lack of action by an employee of our company that contravenes this Code may result in our company taking disciplinary action against that employee which may include dismissal. All suspected breaches will be dealt with on a case by case basis.
• Suspected official misconduct must be referred to our company’s CEO, and the CEO has a duty to notify the police where a suspected, or confirmed, crime has been committed. Also, any person has the right to refer a matter to the police.
• In cases where a suspected breach of this Code is under investigation and, if the CEO deems it appropriate, any employee suspected of a breach of this Code may be suspended from duty on full pay until such time as the investigation has been completed.
• All disciplinary action taken by our company against an employee for found breaches of this Code will be in accordance with associated disciplinary procedures.

Concerns and escalation

Training

Education and training about ethics will be offered at induction and as frequently as the CEO determines.

If you have concerns about approaching any of these people, contact the next most senior person in your area. Alternatively, you might wish to contact the Manager of Human Resources.

Monitor and review

This Policy is reviewed when any of the following occur:

• As required by Legislation
• The related information is amended or replaced or
• Other circumstances as determined from time to time by our company.

Responsibilities

• Sponsor Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
• Business owner Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
• Human Resources Manager
• Authorised Safety Officer (WHSO)/Work Health and Safety Representative (WHSR)

Documentation

All company Policies, Procedures, Guidelines and Charter s.

A guide to Ethical Decision-Making

The following guide is designed to help you reach an ethical decision based on the relevant facts and circumstances of a situation.

Step 1: Assess the situation

• What is your aim?
• What are the facts and circumstances?
• Does it break the law or go against our company policy?
• Is it in line with the Code’s principles?
• What principles does it relate to? Why?
• Who is affected? What rights do they have?
• What are your obligations or responsibilities?

Step 2: Look at the situation from our company‘s viewpoint

• As an employee of our company, what should you do?
• What are the relevant laws, rules and guidelines?
• Who else should you consult?

Step 3: How would others see your actions

• Would a reasonable person think you used your powers or position improperly?
• Would the public see your action or decision as honest and impartial?
• Do you face a Conflict of Interest?
• Will your decision or action stand up to public scrutiny? How would it read in the local media?

Step 4: Consider the options

• Ask your team leader/supervisor/manager or any person who is able to give sound, relevant advice.
• What options and consequences are consistent with our company values, the five ethical principles to good administration and your obligations?
• What are the costs and long-term consequences of each option?
• What will be the outcome for our company, your colleagues, others and you?

Step 5: Choose your course of action

Make sure your actions are:

• within your power to take, legal and in line with policy and this Code;
• fair and able to be justified to your manager and the public;
• documented so a statement of reasons can be supplied;
• consistent with our company mission, goals and values; and
• backed by advice from our company specialists, if this is appropriate.