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Rural Municipality of Whitemouth E.1
Policy for Employee Code of Conduct
Overview:
The Rural Municipality of Whitemouth strives to maintain a high level of public
trust and confidence in the integrity, objectivity and impartiality of the
municipality. As our most valuable and significant resource, our employees
are expected to maintain high standards of personal and professional conduct,
demonstrate integrity and impartiality at all times, and perform their duties
and responsibilities in a manner that recognizes a commitment to the well-
being of the community. This employee code of conduct includes all
employees of the municipality.
Employee Code of Conduct Policy:
This Code of Conduct operates in addition to other policies, regulations and
administrative directives for employees, as may be determined from time to
time by Council or the Chief Administrative Officer.
Where any provision of this Code is inconsistent with a collective agreement
or employment contract that applies to that employee, the provision of the
collective agreement or employment contract applies.
Definitions:
Assets: include, but are not limited to, municipal buildings and land,
equipment, supplies, vehicles, materials, electronic networks, and financial
assets.
Chief Administrative Officer ("CAO"): means the Chief Administrative Officer
of the municipality, and includes his or her designate.
Code: means this document, the Municipal Employee Code of Conduct
established and approved by Council.
Page 2
Confidential information: means information that is not part of the public
domain and information designated by council as confidential, such as
personal information, personnel, internal policies, items under any legal
proceeding, etc.
Dependent: means the spouse or common-law partner of an employee, and
any child, natural or adopted, residing with the employee, and has the same
meaning as in The Municipal Council Conflict of Interest Act.
Employee: means any person employed by the municipality, and includes the
Chief Administrative Officer, designated officers, full time, part time, contract,
or casual employees, including volunteers.
Municipality: means the R.M. of Whitemouth.
Use of Confidential Information:
Employees may have access to confidential information during the course of
their duties and responsibilities. Employees shall keep information
confidential in perpetuity or until the information is available to the general
public. Employees must not use confidential information concerning the
affairs of the municipality to advance their personal interests, their defendants'
interests, or the interests of any other person.
Use of Influence:
The municipality strives to ensure fairness and objectivity in its decision-
making process. Employees must not use their positions to give anyone
preferential treatment that would advance their own interests, or that of any
member of the employee's family, friends or business associates.
Employees who have a financial interest in a municipal contract, sale or other
transaction, or knowingly have family members, friends (individual with whom
the employee has a close personal relationship) or business associates with
such interests, must not participate in any discussion, evaluation or
recommendation with respect to the matter.
Acceptance of Gifts:
Citizens' perception of the integrity of the municipality and its employees is
important. Employees must avoid real or perceived appearances of
Page 3
impropriety with organizations or businesses that do business with the
municipality.
Employees must not accept gifts, favours or other benefits (e.g. hospitality or
entertainment) that are connected directly with the performance of their
duties or responsibilities, from any person who is directly or indirectly involved
in any business relationship with the municipality.
Gifts, favours or benefits that are part of a normal exchange between persons
doing business or part of a public functions are permitted.
Use of Municipal Property and Assets:
Municipal property and assets belong to the community as a whole and must
only be used by an employee to perform work related duties and
responsibilities, or for community activities that are authorized by council.
Personal use of municipal property and assets by an employee are permitted
only if authorized by council. Generally, personal use of municipal property
and assets will only be permitted if they are also available to be used by the
public.
Municipal property and assets in the care of an employee must be protected
and kept secure at all times.
Political and Community Activities:
All employees have the right to take part in political and community activities.
Employees need to ensure that participation in such activities does not place
them in a real or perceived conflict of interest.
Employees may only participate in political activities (e.g. actively campaign
or solicit funds for a political party or candidate) outside work hours and
without using municipal property, assets or resources.
Employees engaged in community activities must continually assess their
involvement and expected decision making responsibilities in light of their
employment with the municipality.
Page 4
Family and Personal Relationships:
The municipality strives to be fair, objective and transparent at all times.
Municipal employees must ensure that their family and other personal
relationships and their official duties are independent of each other.
As with all other areas of municipal business, it is expected that all hiring,
promotions, performance appraisals or discipline will be undertaken in an
objective and impartial manner. At times, this may require reporting
relationships to be revised to ensure employees are not supervised directly or
indirectly by a close family member.
Employees must not give preferential treatment to family or any other person
with whom the employee has a personal relationship.
Health and Safety:
As per The Rural Municipality of Whitemouth's Drug and Alcohol Policy D 4.
Outside Work or Business Activities:
Employees are committed to ensuring the municipality's success in delivering
services to citizens effectively and efficiently, and must act in the best
interests of the municipality.
Employees must ensure that they avoid any outside employment or business
activities;
- that interfere with the performance of an employee's duties;
- in which the employee has an advantage or appears to have an advantage
as a result of their employment with the municipality;
- that will or might appear to influence or affect the employee in carrying out
their municipal duties;
- that requires or involves use of municipal property or assets;
- that is contrary to the interests of the municipality.
Procedures:
Page 5
Employees are expected to comply with the Code of Conduct. Employees have
a responsibility to request an interpretation of the Code from the CAO if they
are unsure whether their behavior, circumstances or interests contravene the
Code.
Where an employee suspects that he or she is, or may potentially be, in
conflict with any of the provision of the Code, the employee must disclose the
conflict or potential conflict in writing, to:
His or her direct supervisor, in the case of an employee. The supervisor
must immediately advise the CAO.
Council or the Personnel Committee in the case of the CAO
The disclosure should include a detailed description of the conflict or potential
conflict.
Where a disclosure is made, the matter will be treated seriously and in
confidence. The supervisor must review the disclosure within five (5) business
days, from the date the disclosure is made, and determine an appropriate
course of action to address the actual or potential conflict.
An employee who fails to disclose an actual or potential conflict may be subject
to discipline.
Revisions:
Council may, at its discretion and by resolution, amend the Code.
PRINCIPLES:
The R.M. of Whitemouth strives to maintain a high level of public trust and
confidence in the integrity, objectivity and impartiality of the municipality.
As our most valuable and significant resource, our employees are expected to
maintain high standards of personal and professional conduct, demonstrate
integrity and impartiality at all times, and perform their duties and
responsibilities in a manner that recognizes a commitment to the well-being
of the community.
PREAMBLE:
This Code of Conduct operates in addition to other policies, regulations and
administrative directives for employees, as may be determined from time to
time by Council or the Chief Administrative Officer.
Page 6
Where any provision of this Code is inconsistent with a collective agreement
or employment contract that applies to that employee, the provision of the
collective agreement or employment contract applies.
DEFINITIONS:
Assets include, but are not limited to, municipal buildings and land,
equipment, supplies, vehicles, materials, electronic networks, and financial
assets.
Chief Administrative Officer ("CAO") means the Chief Administrative
Officer of the municipality, and includes his or her designate.
Code means the Municipal Employee Code of Conduct established and
approved by Council.
Confidential information means information that is not part of the public
domain and information designated by council as confidential, such as
personal information, internal policies, items under any legal proceeding, etc.
Dependant means the spouse or common-law partner of an employee, and
any child, natural or adopted, residing with the employee, and has the same
meaning as in The Municipal Council Conflict of Interest Act.
Employee means any person employed by the municipality, and includes the
Chief Administrative Officer, designated officers, full time, part time, contract,
or casual employees, including volunteers.
Municipality means the R.M. of Whitemouth.
SCOPE:
This code applies to all employees of the municipality.
USE OF CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION:
Employees may have access to confidential information during the course of
their duties and responsibilities.
Employees are expected to keep information confidential, until the information
is available to the general public.
Employees must not use confidential information concerning the affairs of the
municipality to advance their personal interests, their dependants' interests,
or the interests of any other person.
Page 7
USE OF INFLUENCE:
The municipality strives to ensure fairness and objectivity in its decision-
making process. Employees must not use their positions to give anyone
preferential treatment that would advance their own interests, or that of any
member of the employee's family, friends or business associates.
Employees who have a financial interest in a municipal contract, sale or other
transaction, or knowingly have family members, friends (individual with whom
the employee has a close personal relationship) or business associates with
such interests, must not participate in any discussion, evaluation or
recommendation with respect to the matter.
ACCEPTANCE OF GIFTS:
Citizens' perception of the integrity of the municipality and its employees is
important. Employees must avoid real or perceived appearances of
impropriety with organizations or businesses that do business with the
municipality.
Employees must not accept gifts, favours or other benefits (e.g. hospitality or
entertainment) that are connected directly with the performance of their
duties or responsibilities, from any person who is directly or indirectly involved
in any business relationship with the municipality.
Gifts, favours or benefits that are part of a normal exchange between persons
doing business or part of a public functions are permitted.
USE OF MUNICIPAL PROPERTY AND ASSETS:
Municipal property and assets belong to the community as a whole and must
only be used by an employee to perform work related duties and
responsibilities, or for community activities that are authorized by council.
Personal use of municipal property and assets by an employee are permitted
only if authorized by council. Generally, personal use of municipal property
and assets will only be permitted if they are also available to be used by the
public.
Municipal property and assets in the care of an employee must be protected
and kept secure at all times.
Page 8
POLITICAL AND COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES:
All employees have the right to take part in political and community activities.
Employees need to ensure that participation in such activities does not place
them in a real or perceived conflict of interest.
Employees may only participate in political activities (e.g. actively campaign
or solicit funds for a political party or candidate) outside work hours and
without using municipal property, assets or resources.
Employees engaged in community activities must continually assess their
involvement and expected decision making responsibilities in light of their
employment with the municipality.
FAMILY AND PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS:
The municipality strives to be fair, objective and transparent at all times.
Municipal employees must ensure that their family and other personal
relationships and their official duties are independent of each other.
As with all other areas of municipal business, it is expected that all hiring,
promotions, performance appraisals or discipline will be undertaken in an
objective and impartial manner. At times, this may require reporting
relationships to be revised to ensure employees are not supervised directly or
indirectly by a close family member.
Employees must not give preferential treatment to family or any other person
with whom the employee has a personal relationship.
OUTSIDE WORK OR BUSINESS ACTIVITIES:
Employees are committed to ensuring the municipality's success in delivering
services to citizens effectively and efficiently, and must act in the best
interests of the municipality.
Employees must ensure that they avoid any outside employment or business
activities;
- that interfere with the performance of an employee's duties;
- in which the employee has an advantage or appears to have an advantage
as a result of their employment with the municipality;
- that will or might appear to influence or affect the employee in carrying out
their municipal duties;
- that requires or involves use of municipal property or assets;
- that is contrary to the interests of the municipality.
Page 9
PROCEDURES:
Employees are expected to comply with the Code of Conduct. Employees have
a responsibility to request an interpretation of the Code from the CAO if they
are unsure whether their behavior, circumstances or interests contravene the
Code.
Where an employee suspects that he or she is, or may potentially be, in
conflict with any of the provision of the Code, the employee must disclose the
conflict or potential conflict in writing, to:
-
His or her direct supervisor, in the case of an employee. The supervisor
must immediately advise the CAO.
-
Council or the Personnel Committee in the case of the CAO
The disclosure should include a detailed description of the conflict or potential
conflict.
Where a disclosure is made, the matter will be treated seriously and in
confidence. The supervisor must review the disclosure within five (5) business
days, from the date the disclosure is made, and determine an appropriate
course of action to address the actual or potential conflict.
An employee who fails to disclose an actual or potential conflict may be subject
to discipline.
REVISIONS:
Council may, at its discretion and by resolution, amend the Code.
Reviewed and Accepted on February 27, 2024, by Resolution No.42/24
Accepted as Policy on April 27, 2016, by Resolution No. 138/16