EXPECTED BEHAVIOURS OF CIVIL SERVANTS IN CANADA

The Role of Public Servants

Public servants have a fundamental role to play in serving Canadians, their communities and the public interest under the direction of the elected government and in accordance with the law. As professionals whose work is essential to Canada's well-being and the enduring strength of the Canadian democracy, public servants uphold the public trust.

The Constitution of Canada and the principles of responsible government provide the foundation for the role, responsibilities and values of the federal public sector. Constitutional conventions of ministerial responsibility prescribe the appropriate relationships among ministers, parliamentarians, public servants and the public. A professional and non-partisan federal public sector is integral to our democracy.

The Role of Ministers

Ministers are also responsible for preserving public trust and confidence in the integrity of public sector organizations and for upholding the tradition and practice of a professional non-partisan federal public sector. Furthermore, ministers play a critical role in supporting public servants' responsibility to provide professional and frank advice.

Statement of Values and Expected Behaviours

Public servants can expect to be treated in accordance with these values:

1. Respect for Democracy
2. Respect for People
3. Integrity
4. Stewardship
5. Excellence

1. Respect for Democracy

Public servants shall uphold the Canadian parliamentary democracy and its institutions by:

1. Respecting the rule of law and carrying out their duties in accordance with legislation, policies and directives in a non-partisan and impartial manner.
2. Loyally carrying out the lawful decisions of their leaders and supporting ministers in their accountability to Parliament and Canadians.
3. Providing decision makers with all the information, analysis and advice they need, always striving to be open, candid and impartial.

2. Respect for People

Public servants shall respect human dignity and the value of every person by:

1. Treating every person with respect and fairness.
2. Valuing diversity and the benefit of combining the unique qualities and strengths inherent in a diverse workforce.
3. Helping to create and maintain safe and healthy workplaces that are free from harassment and discrimination.
4. Working together in a spirit of openness, honesty and transparency that encourages engagement, collaboration and respectful communication.
5. Contributing to create a culture within the workplace in which all employees, in all positions, work together to prevent conflicts or resolve them as early as possible in a constructive and creative manner.

3. Integrity

Public servants shall serve the public interest by:

1. Acting at all times with integrity and in a manner that will bear the closest public scrutiny, an obligation that may not be fully satisfied by simply acting within the law.
2. Never using their official roles to inappropriately obtain an advantage for themselves or to advantage or disadvantage others.
3. Taking all possible steps to prevent and resolve any real, apparent or potential conflicts of interest between their official responsibilities and their private affairs in favour of the public interest.
4. Acting in such a way as to maintain their employer's trust.
5. Maintaining the confidentiality of information obtained through their position and respecting the rules governing information management.
6. Conducting themselves in a manner that does not harm the reputation of their Department, the Government of Canada, or the departments and agencies they support.
7. Exercising caution when using social media or other collaborative tools facilitated by information technology so that their professionalism and their ability to perform their duties in a non-partisan way are not called into question.
8. Limiting themselves to authorized and lawful uses of the Department's systems and electronic networks.

4. Stewardship

Public servants shall use resources responsibly by:

1. Effectively and efficiently using the public money, property and resources managed by them.
2. Considering the present and long-term effects that their actions have on people and the environment.
3. Acquiring, preserving and sharing knowledge and information as appropriate.

5. Excellence

Public servants shall demonstrate professional excellence by:

1. Providing fair, timely, efficient and effective services that respect Canada's official languages.
2. Continually improving the quality of policies, programs and services they provide.
3. Fostering a work environment that promotes teamwork, learning and innovation.
4. Consistently applying the policies and directives of the Department and central agencies.

Avenues for Resolution

The expected behaviours identified above are not intended to respond to every possible ethical issue that might arise in the course of a public servant's daily work. When ethical issues arise, public servants are encouraged to discuss and resolve these matters with their manager. They can also seek advice and support from other appropriate sources within their Department, including the Human Resources Division and the office responsible for values and ethics, or their union representative.

Public servants at all levels are expected to resolve issues in a fair and respectful manner and consider informal processes such as dialogue or mediation.

If public servants have information that could indicate a serious breach of the Code, they can bring the matter, in confidence and without fear of reprisal, to the attention of their immediate supervisor, the senior officer for disclosure or the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner.

Members of the public who have reason to believe that a public servant has not acted in accordance with the Code can bring the matter to the senior officer for disclosure or to the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner to disclose a serious breach of this Code.