Grasslands Public Schools Policy Handbook Grasslands Public Schools
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Administrative Procedure

AP-720 — Employee Responsibilities and Conduct

Section Seven: Personnel and Employee Relations
Effective Date: October 5, 2015 Last Reviewed: October 15, 2024

Background

All employees are responsible to conduct themselves in a manner that reflects well on the school division and sets forth an example worthy of emulation by fellow employees and students. It is expected that employees shall represent the Division positively and in a manner that supports the responsibility of the Board to provide for each student, and each employee, a welcoming, caring, respectful and safe environment.

Procedures

  1. The Employee Responsibilities and Conduct administrative procedure, and its enforcement shall apply to employees:
    1. In the workplace;
    2. On any Division property;
    3. During any break times on or off Division property;
    4. At Division sponsored or authorized activities;
    5. While riding in Division owned transportation; and/or
    6. When the employee's conduct detrimentally affects the welfare of other individuals or the governance, climate, or efficiency of the workplace regardless of where that conduct occurs. This includes electronic communication such as email, text, and social media.
  2. All employees have a responsibility to ensure they are familiar with, and adhere to, laws and legislation, Board policies and the accompanying administrative procedures, applicable collective agreements, terms of employment, and processes that affect their work or employment.
  3. All employees shall conduct their employment responsibilities in an honest, faithful and diligent manner, including:
    1. Faithfulness and promptness in attendance at work;
    2. Diligence in submitting required reports promptly at the times specified;
    3. Care and protection of school property; and
    4. Concern and attention toward their own and the school system's legal responsibility for the safety and welfare of students, including the need to assure that students are properly supervised.
  4. An effective educational program requires the services of employees of integrity, high ideals, and human understanding. All division employees are expected to maintain high standards in their work relationships. These standards include but are not limited to the following:
    1. Respecting all persons regardless of race, religious beliefs, colour, gender, gender identity, gender expression, physical disability, mental disability, age, ancestry, place of origin, marital status, source of income, family status or sexual orientation;
    2. Maintaining respectful professional relationships with students, parents, staff members and others;
    3. Engaging in ongoing professional and career long learning related to their position. This includes but is not limited to mandatory training related to Occupational Health & Safety, Emergency Response, and Cybersecurity; and
    4. Behaving in a manner that does not compromise the Division's image or reputation including activities that may disparage, defame, or embarrass the Division.
  5. Grasslands School Division employees shall adhere to confidentiality and ethical guidelines maintaining the strictest confidence of information gained through their position.
  6. Grasslands School Division employees with children attending Grasslands School Division schools will ensure their conduct and communication with Division personnel in their children's school and any matters related to their child's education is free from influence associated with their employment in Grasslands School Division.
  7. Grasslands School Division employees shall not engage in private endeavors that might cause a perception of a conflict of interest, or that might bring the reputation of employees or Grasslands School Division into disrepute. Private endeavors are all those aspects of an employee's activities outside the employee's employment duties and include, but are not limited to:
    1. financial interest;
    2. paid and unpaid activities beyond official duty; and
    3. relationships with third parties who may be:
      1. employed by the Division;
      2. doing business with the Division; and
      3. seeking employment or benefits from the Division.

All employees shall disclose to their supervisor/principal any financial, business or commercial interest which may conflict with their duty to the Division or the proper execution of their duties. Where potential conflict is identified by the supervisor/principal, the matter will be forwarded to the Superintendent or designate for review.

  1. Employees will declare any conflict of interest that may arise and remove themselves from the conflict of interest situation. This includes but not limited to:
    1. Ensuring that appointments to positions and promotions are based solely on qualifications and suitability for position;
    2. Not placing unethical pressure on school officials for appointment or promotion; and
    3. Refraining from accepting gifts, favours of service from persons who contract with the Division for the supply of goods or services.
  2. Employees shall adhere to the following process for resolving conflicts with other staff members of the school system.
    1. Speak directly to the other employee and attempt to mutually resolve the problem.
    2. If resolution was not possible or where an individual is uncomfortable approaching the other employee, the individual(s) shall speak to their immediate supervisor(s) for support resolving the problem; and
    3. If the problem was not resolved by speaking with their supervisor(s), the problem should be dealt with by successive levels of authority within the school division until resolved.
    4. Complaints of discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment, or violence shall follow Administrative Procedure 725 – Respect in the Workplace.
  3. These principles are intended to complement any Code of Ethics that an employee would follow because of their professional affiliation (e.g., Code of Professional Conduct for Teachers and Teacher Leaders (2022) or a professional association code of conduct).
  4. Breach of the Employee Responsibilities and Conduct administrative procedure may result in a range of disciplinary actions being imposed on the employee, up to and including termination of employment.