HUMAN
RESOURCES
EMPLOYEE ETHICS
418
POLICY
It is the policy of the Upper Grand District School Board to hold all its employees to high
ethical standards, to adopt attitudes and conduct that reflect a clear sense of their
responsibility to perform their duties in the best interests of students, staff and the
organization. By adhering to a Code of Ethics, employees will demonstrate leadership,
accountability and transparency, and will merit the trust of students, parents, members
of the educational community and the general public.
Administrative Detail
1.
It is the responsibility of the Executive Officer of Human Resources to
administer and implement this policy.
2.
This policy applies to all employees of the Upper Grand District School
Board.
3.
It is the responsibility of all employees to adhere to this Code of Ethics and
to act at all times with good faith, and in the best interests of the
organization.
4.
Employees who are members of professional organizations are
responsible for adhering to the ethical standards of their organizations in
addition to this policy.
5.
It is the responsibility of all Senior Administrators, Principals, Supervisors
and Managers to ensure that all employees, including new employees, are
made aware of this policy and procedures.
6.
Violations of this policy may result in disciplinary action, up to and
including dismissal.
7.
This policy operates in conjunction will the Education Act and Regulations,
the Teaching Profession Act, the Municipal Freedom of Information and
Protection of Privacy Act, the Accessibility Standards Act, Ontario Human
Rights Code, Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA), Ontario
Student Record (OSR) Guideline, Personal Information and Protection of
Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), all Municipal, Provincial and Federal
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Laws, and all Board policies, procedures and protocols, including, but not
limited to:
206 –
213 –
211 –
302 –
315 –
316 –
318 –
402 –
408 –
417 –
502 –
503 –
504 –
Adopted 2011 06
Violence-Free Schools
Code of Conduct
Accessibility Standards for Customer Service
Purchasing
Privacy Protection and Information Access
Records and Information Management
Use of Technology
Violence and Harassment in the Workplace - Safe Workplaces and
Learning Environments
Anti-Harassment
Violence in the Workplace
Child Abuse and Protection
Student Discipline, Bullying Prevention and Intervention
Equity and Inclusive Education
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A.
EMPLOYEE ETHICS
PROCEDURES MANUAL
418-A
ETHICAL STANDARDS
All employees of the Upper Grand District School Board must recognize
that their actions and activities have an impact on the classroom and in
the workplace. As a result, employees of the Board are expected to:
B.
a)
make the well-being of students paramount in decision making and
actions;
b)
maintain appropriate relationships, and professional boundaries,
with students, at all times ensuring that employee-student
relationships are positive, appropriate and non-exploitive;
c)
conduct themselves, at all times, in an honest, ethical and
professional manner regardless of their role within the organization
as representatives of the Board;
d)
maintain professional boundaries in all forms of communication,
and
e)
maintain professional and respectful relationships with fellow
employees, parents and members of the educational community.
ETHICAL CONDUCT
In all activities, employees of the Upper Grand District School Board will
demonstrate their commitment to the standards set forth above by:
a)
refraining from having sexual relations of any kind with any
elementary or secondary student;
b)
refraining from engaging in fraudulent and/or corrupt actions that
involve behavior that is deliberately dishonest or deceitful and
involves the abuse of trust;
c)
performing their professional, job related responsibilities for the
duration of scheduled work hours;
d)
being aware of and supporting the goals and objectives, policies
and day-to-day operations of the Board, individual schools or
departments;
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e)
respecting and supporting the organizational structure of the Board
by reporting, to the appropriate person(s), problems and/or
concerns, formally or informally;
f)
displaying positive and respectful attitudes towards students,
parents, fellow employees and members of the Board when in a
public forum;
g)
reporting improper conduct to the appropriate person, supervisor
or manager;
h)
respecting the decisions of supervisors, administrators and
members of the Board;
i)
creating an environment of trust and respect;
j)
never discriminating on any prohibited grounds identified under the
Human Rights Code;
k)
ensuring the proper use of public resources, including facilities,
supplies and equipment;
l)
participating in finding solutions to problems and/or concerns within
the organization;
m)
respecting the rights of employees, students and other members of
the educational community who make good faith complaints
affecting the Board;
n)
never using their authority or office for personal gain, and
o)
respecting the confidentiality of information and the privacy of
individuals.
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C.
EMPLOYEE ETHICS
PROCEDURES MANUAL
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CONFLICT OF INTEREST FOR EMPLOYEES
Employees of the Board have a duty not to engage in any business or
transaction, or have any financial or other personal interest, that is, or may
reasonably appear to others to be, incompatible with the performance of
the employee's official duties.
Board staff shall abide by the conflict of interest guidelines as noted
below.
1.
A conflict of interest exists where the decisions made and/or the
actions taken in the exercise of duties by a Board employee could
be, or could be perceived to be, affected by the personal, financial
or business interests of that person or that person’s family or
business associates.
2.
Employees are responsible and accountable for using good
judgment in the exercise of the Board’s duties and must:
3.
a)
disclose in writing any conflict of interest to their supervisor;
b)
avoid situations which may present a conflict of interest, and
c)
self-disclose any doubtful situation or transaction to their
immediate supervisor.
Supplementary Employment Opportunities
a)
Certain supplementary employment opportunities may
provide valuable professional development experience for
employees. Furthermore, in many cases, the Board is
pleased to co-operate with agencies of the educational
community who wish to use the talents of Board staff.
Approvals of requests will be in accordance with
administrative regulations and at the discretion of senior
administration and, in special circumstances, the Director of
Education may refer a request to the Board.
b)
The Board prohibits its employees from engaging in
employment or any business activity which will place the
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employee in a situation of conflict of interest with the Board
and the performance of assigned duties.
c)
Adopted 2011 06
In accordance with the following sections of the Education
Act:
i)
“No teacher, supervisory officer or other employee of
the Board or of the Ministry shall, for compensation of
any kind other than his/her salary as such employee,
promote, offer for sale or sell, directly or indirectly,
any book or other teaching or learning materials,
equipment, furniture, stationery or other article to any
Board, provincial school or teachers’ college, or to
any pupil enrolled therein”.
ii)
“Subsection (1) does not apply to a teacher,
supervisory officer or any other employee in respect
of a book or other teaching or learning materials of
which he/she is an author where the only
compensation that he/she receives in respect thereof
is a fee or royalty thereon”.
iii)
“No person or organization or agent thereof shall
employ a teacher, supervisory officer or other
employee of a Board or of the Ministry to promote,
offer for sale or sell, directly or indirectly, any book or
other teaching or learning materials, equipment,
furniture, stationery or other article to any Board,
provincial school or teachers’ college, or to any pupil
enrolled therein, or shall directly or indirectly give or
pay compensation to any such teacher, supervisory
officer or employee for such purpose”.
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