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HomeMy WebLinkAbout300-10POLICY & PROCEDURE Subject: CODE OF CONDUCT Index: HRRM Number: 300-10 Effective Date: 2/2/2024 Supersedes: n/a Page: 1 of 4 Staff Contact: Ellen Bradley-Mak Approved By: 1.0 PURPOSE: The purpose of this policy is to establish standards of conduct for all City employees to ensure a healthy, safe, productive, and inclusive work environment. The City values the unique experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds that each employee brings to the workplace. The City strives to foster a work environment where all employees feel respected and valued. 2.0 ORGANIZATIONS AFFECTED: All departments/divisions. 3.0 REFERENCES: RCW 49.60, Washington Law Against Discrimination RCW 49.17, Washington Industrial Safety and Health Act City of Renton Policy 300-47, Discipline City of Renton Policy 100-07, Code of Ethics City of Renton Policy 250-16, Electronic Data Security City of Renton Policy 340-02, Unlawful Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation City of Renton Policy 700-20, Violence Free Workplace Labor Contracts Police Civil Service Rules 4.0 POLICY: It is the policy of this City that employees will act in a professional manner and treat others with dignity and respect and not engage in behaviors that adversely affect or impair the efficiency of a co-worker or jeopardize working relationships with other employees, customers, business partners, and/or the general public. It is a violation of this policy for any City employee in the course of their employment to engage in bullying, aggression, or insubordination. It is also a violation of this policy to retaliate against an employee for reporting violation of this policy in good faith or cooperating in an investigation into violation of this policy. 300-10 Code of Conduct p. 2 It is the responsibility of all employees to recognize and promote appropriate workplace behaviors by encouraging an environment that is respectful and courteous. Supervisors are expected to respond to and address behavior that is in violation of this policy. In addition, behaviors that result in real, perceived, or potential discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and/or workplace violence may also be addressed under the relevant referenced policy and laws. The standards outlined in this policy and the following procedures shall be applied evenly to all employees regardless of position or classification, in a fair and just way, and without bias or prejudice. Reported violations will be investigated and/or addressed in a manner that is impartial, transparent, prompt, thorough, and respectful. This policy applies to employees while working, representing the City, and/or interacting with the City from their perspective and position as an employee. This policy does not apply to employees communicating with the City as private residents or engaging in legally protected concerted activities. 5.0 DEFINITIONS: 5.1 Aggression: Behavior intended to or having the natural consequence of unreasonably or maliciously harming others physically and/or psychologically. Physical examples include, but are not limited to, throwing objects, or damaging property in a manner that is menacing or threatening. Aggression can also be verbal, including making threatening comments, yelling, belittling, intimidating, cursing, or humiliating another person. 5.2 Bullying: Behavior in which someone intentionally and repeatedly causes another person fear, injury, or discomfort. 5.2.1 Bullying can take the form of actual or threatened physical contact, stalking, cyberbullying, words, written and electronic communications. More subtle actions, such as microaggressions and gossip, can also amount to bullying if intentional and repetitive. 5.2.2 Workplace bullying can be hostile (e.g., yelling at someone) or instrumental (e.g., spreading rumors about someone); direct (e.g., sending angry messages) or indirect (e.g., withholding information); and overt (e.g., humiliating/silencing someone in front of others) or covert (e.g., gaslighting). 5.2.3 Bullying often includes a perceived or real power imbalance but can occur in any direction within an organization including downward (e.g., boss to 300-10 Code of Conduct p. 3 employee); horizontal (e.g., peer to peer); upward (e.g., bullying by subordinates); and mixed (e.g., multi-directional, mixed position clique). 5.3 City Employee: All regular and non-regular employees. This includes full-time, part-time, temporary, seasonal, contract employees, and all employees in a supervisory role. For the purposes of this policy, it also means volunteers. 5.4 Implicit Bias: Implicit bias, also known as implicit prejudice or implicit attitude, is a negative attitude, of which one is not consciously aware, against a specific social group. 5.5 Insubordination: To unreasonably interfere with or refuse or fail to follow instructions to perform a job assignment given by a supervisor provided that such instructions and assignments are in accordance with city policies, ordinances, resolutions and other local, state, or federal laws. 5.6 Microaggression: An insensitive statement, question, or assumption that reflects prejudice, stereotypes, or implicit bias and demeans, excludes, or embarrasses someone due to an aspect of the person’s identity or perceived identity (such as race, national origin, religion, gender, sexuality, or disability). 6.0 PROCEDURES: 6.1 Responding directly to unwanted behaviors 6.1.1 The City encourages solving Code of Conduct issues and violations at the lowest levels when possible. 6.1.2 Employees are encouraged to speak up if they experience unwanted behaviors that are counter to the purpose of this policy if they feel comfortable doing so. 6.1.3 Employees may assertively tell the offending person that the behavior is unwanted and request they cease immediately. 6.1.4 Employees should contact their supervisor and/or HRRM (as outlined in Procedures 6.2) if the unwanted behavior does not cease and/or the unwanted behavior escalates. 6.2 Reporting a policy violation 6.2.1 Employees who experience or witness unwanted behaviors that violate this policy, the purpose of this policy, or are likely to violate this policy if repeated, should report the incident(s) in writing to their supervisor and/or the Department of Human Resources & Risk Management 300-10 Code of Conduct p. 4 (HRRM). A supervisor receiving a report shall forward the report to HRRM. 6.2.2 HRRM will determine if the tenets of this policy, as outlined above, were violated, and will identify the appropriate response in collaboration with the Department Administrator. Depending on the severity and persistence of behaviors, HRRM will recommend beginning with education, training, coaching, and/or employee support resources whenever appropriate. 6.2.2.1 Bullying: Employees who appear to have violated the tenets of this policy for bullying behaviors may be subject to investigation and appropriate disciplinary action per the procedures in policies referenced in section 3.0. 6.2.2.2 Aggression: HRRM will work with the employee’s Department Administrator to identify the appropriate response and/or include appropriate disciplinary action per the procedures in policies referenced in section 3.0. 6.2.2.3 Insubordination: HRRM will work with the employee’s Department Administrator to identify the appropriate response, which may include appropriate disciplinary action per the procedures in policies referenced in section 3.0. 6.2.3 HRRM will work with Department Administrator(s) to ensure the sharing of employee support resources with impacted staff and teams.