Code of Conduct

• Introduction
• Sunset Bay Code of Conduct
• Equal Employment Opportunity
• Anti-discrimination
  • Discrimination
  • Bullying and harassment
  • Sexual harassment
• Equity and diversity policy

Code of conduct

Introduction

A Code of Conduct is a guide for staff that defines the standards of behaviour they are required to use in their daily practice. It is a set of principles that a workplace defines as necessary for maintaining a safe and ethical work environment.

All workplaces are subject to national and state Acts and Regulations. A Code of Conduct supports this legislation but is not itself legislation. All staff members are still subject to criminal law and legislation.

Sunset Bay Code of Conduct

The Sunset Bay Health Campus (SBHC) Code of Conduct supports our commitment to provide duty of care to all staff and clients receiving our service.

It sets out the minimum standards of behaviour in relation to:

• how you perform your daily duties,
• your behaviour towards other people (staff, clients), and
• discrimination and harassment.

Staff members are expected to follow the Code of Conduct as part of their conditions of employment.

SBHC is committed to serving the community. Our Code of Conduct reflects our belief in:

• respect for the rights of the individual and the community, and
• creating and maintaining public confidence in SBHC.

All staff members have a responsibility to:

• carry out their duties and behave according to the SBHC Code of Conduct,
• report any suspected fraud, corruption, criminal or unethical behaviour, and
• report any breach of conduct by themselves or others.

When carrying out their duties, staff members will:

• respect the dignity, rights and views of others,
• respect the right to privacy and confidentiality of personal information of individuals,
• not harass or discriminate against any other staff member on the basis of age, gender, sexual orientation, colour, race, religion, physical deformity or disability,
• speak and act in a way that will not harm or offend a fellow worker or client,
• intervene when another staff member behaves inappropriately,
• trust, respect, support and assist co-workers,
• maintain professional standards,
• be punctual and meet deadlines,
• wear identification (ID) badges so that they can be easily seen and read,
• practice good personal hygiene and maintain appropriate dress standards, and
• follow the policies and procedures of Sunset Bay Health Campus, the state and federal awards, standards and legislation.

All staff members have the right to work in an environment where they:

• feel safe,
• are able to voice their opinion,
• are respected, and
• are valued for their contribution to the organisation.

If any staff member experiences or witnesses discrimination, harassment or workplace conflict they should lodge a complaint.

Sunset Bay’s Grievance Policy sets out the procedure for lodging complaints.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) means that everyone should be treated fairly and equally. At SBHC it is based on the principles that everyone should:

• have equal access to jobs,
• be given an equal chance to make the most of their abilities,
• be treated with respect, and
• be able to make complaints.

Sunset Bay Health Campus is committed to making sure that all EEO principles are an important part of our service.

These principles are outlined in the Equal Opportunity Act (1987) as:

• social justice;
  • equity,
  • access,
  • participation, and
  • basic rights.
• diversity;
  • social diversity, and
  • cultural diversity.
  • linguistic diversity

Equal opportunity covers all aspects of work:

• conditions of employment,
• advertising and recruitment of staff,
• workplace compliance with the associated job description,
• training,
• opportunities for promotion, and
• workplace free from bullying and harassment.

Anti-Discrimination Policy

SBHC promotes a fair and equitable work environment which is free from discrimination and harassment in line with its obligations under Commonwealth legislation.

SBHC acknowledges that amongst its staff and clients are males and females of differing ethnic, religious and political beliefs and sexual preferences. SBHC undertakes to value these differences and create an environment free from discrimination and harassment.

SBHC will not tolerate discrimination against, or harassment of, any person or group.

Discrimination

Every state and territory in Australia has its own anti-discrimination laws. These may be slightly different to federal legislation. In general,grounds for discrimination are:

• age,
• sex,
• race,
• impairment or disability,
• industrial activity,
• lawful sexual activity/sexual orientation,
• marital, parental or carer status,
• physical features,
• pregnancy,
• political belief or activity, and
• religious belief or activity.

Bullying and Harassment

The Occupational Health and Safety Act (1991) says that an employer is responsible for providing a safe workplace for all employees. At SBHC we have a responsibility to ensure that no client or staff member is bullied or harassed at any time.

In Australia workplace bullying and harassment is against the law.

Bullying and harassment is any behaviour that makes a person feel humiliated, belittled, insulted or puts that person at risk in any way.

Such behaviour can be harmful to a person’s health and well-being. It is also a health and safety issue which can affect the effectiveness of an organisation.

People are sometimes bullied or harassed because they are different in some way. It is often because of their sex, race or ethnic background, disability, sexual preference, marital status, age or because they are pregnant.

Behaviours that may be regarded as bullying or harassment include:

• Inappropriate language or use of language, such as;
  • shouting,
  • abusive language, and
  • ridicule.
• Inappropriate use of position or power, such as;
  • ordering people around unnecessarily,
  • starting malicious rumours,
  • public humiliation,
  • unnecessary criticism,
  • exclusion or victimisation, and
  • withholding of leave or promotion.
• physical violence
  • pushing and shoving, and
  • hitting and punching.

Sexual harassment

Sexual harassment is unwanted, uninvited advances of a sexual nature to either men or women.

It may consist of:

• sexual insults or taunting (name calling, offensive nicknames etc),
• sexually explicit comments, jokes or conversations,
• displaying offensive material (posters, screen savers etc),
• unwanted physical contact, gestures or other non-verbal communication, and
• unwelcome comments or insults about a person’s actual or assumed sexuality.

Equity and Diversity Policy

All staff at Sunset Bay have a responsibility to ensure that no client or staff member is at any time treated unfairly or differently.

Some of the groups that are at risk of receiving different treatment are:

• people from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds,
• people with a disability,
• women,
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander,
• pregnant women,
• persons form different socio-cultural levels,
• persons with different family/ carer responsibilities,
• young people,
• older age workers,
• people with low level of job skills,
• people with English as a second language, and
• people with low levels of literacy and numeracy skills.

Sunset Bay Health Campus has made provision for individuals needs.

This has been achieved by:

• The provision of a prayer room in the administration block.
• Recruitment and selection processes that utilise the Equal Opportunity legislation and ensure that employment is based on equitable selection criteria.
• Employment agreements that take into consideration different working hours where required.
• Employment agreements that take into consideration job sharing to assist women returning to work with familial responsibilities.
• Creche access that is available to all staff.
• Access to facilities and resources that is accommodated by the provision of handrails, ramps and a lift between floors.
• Adaptive equipment or a modified work environment that is supplied for staff upon request with a medical practitioners report and an occupational therapists/physiotherapists assessment of their individualised needs.
• Ongoing assistance and supervision by either the Sunset Bay Mentoring program or the staff development section.
• Life skills courses that we advertise on the intranet and encourage all staff to attend. They are provided free of charge to staff members and at a nominal amount to the family members of staff.
• Attendance at the Sunset Bay TAFE for assistance and further education with English as a second language. Due to a partnering agreement between the college and the health campus courses are available at a lower fee than for non-staff members.

This policy is linked to the equal opportunity and code of conduct policies.