ASPIRE

Intro

Hi, and welcome to the Office of Values and Ethics ASPIRE podcast series where we engage employees and shape the way we "do" values and ethics. I am your host, Joshua Dunn, from the Office of Values and Ethics. This podcast series was created to discuss a wide range of values and ethics topics that will be of interest to you as public servants. Our podcast today is on the topic of gossip in the workplace, which can sometimes have a negative effect on exercising the public service value of Respect for People.

Dialogue

Do we consider it gossip if we spread the news about an upcoming change in management? Or, do we consider it gossip when we speculate that the annual operational budget will be different from the year before?

Whether we like it or not, gossip occurs more often than we may think. The term "gossip" may mean something different for each individual; but it actually has a very specific meaning: Gossip includes all casual conversations or reports that evaluate or judge other people, the details of which are unconfirmed or may not be true. In the workplace, we gossip when we talk about each other rather than to each other, and when we focus on what we assume rather than what we know. Studies have shown that almost 75% of office communication can be considered gossip, including both in-person and virtual correspondences.

Workplace gossip is a complex issue. There can be both positive and negative consequences to gossip, depending on the nature of the act itself, its motivations and the reasons behind it.

Gossip has always been a part of human history. In fact, Egyptologists from the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum in San Jose, California even uncovered 5000-year-old hieroglyphics containing gossip, covering topics as mundane as the queen's suspected baldness to as vulgar as murder plots against the king, the most sensational of which were found in the servants quarters. Gossip has been a way for people, and historically people with less social power and authority, to communicate and commiserate with each other.

Most of the time, people gossip because they lack the appropriate information. We may not have a clear and accurate understanding about what is going on in our workplace, and so we use gossip to speculate or make assumptions. Gossip becomes our way of trying to fill informational gaps and cope with uncertainty, but in a way that may not be productive and instead perpetuates misinformation.

Gossip may also have an interpersonal function. When we gossip with our colleagues, we often do so to highlight behaviours or actions we don't like to see or that may negatively affect team functioning or morale. In these circumstances, we use gossip as a way to gently respond to behaviours the group deems unethical. Therefore, gossip can be an indicator that certain behaviours in the team are inconsistent with our organizational or group norms, and this should encourage us to raise and address this concern openly in the team with the objective of resolving concerns and improving behaviours.

Gossiping also has an important emotional role to play in the workplace. We may turn to gossip in order to vent and voice our concerns to each other. Gossiping in this way can be cathartic, and allow our colleagues to reduce stress. When someone comes to us to gossip, they may do so to seek a connection and improve their mental health. In these circumstances, gossip is comforting and supportive. This is why gossiping has been shown to help in forming and maintaining relationships between colleagues.

In their 2017 study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, Brady and others identified nine reasons behind workplace gossip. They found that 32% of workplace gossip is to gather and validate information, with another 29% for the purposes of venting emotions and coping. 7% was to build friendships, 6% for entertainment and alleviating boredom, another 6% was to seek help from a co-worker, and 5% for spreading information. Though this study found that people engage in both positive and negative forms of gossip, rarely is the true intention of gossip to harm another person. Instead, gossip is more likely to be used to defend someone's reputation (3% of the time), warn a co-worker (2% of the time), or manage the impression of others (another 2% of the time). More often than not, people gossip in the workplace for positive or neutral reasons.

However, despite these positive connotations, we must continue to be cautious to ensure that negative gossip does not cross the line into harassment, discrimination, disrespect and/or incivility. This includes conversations that can be considered negative, inflammatory, or embarrassing to the person being spoken of. In these cases, gossip can lead to:

• The erosion of trust and team morale;
• The loss of productivity and opportunities;
• Increased anxiety among employees;
• Divisiveness and segregation within the office;
• Slander, defamation, and ruined reputations; and
• Unexpected staff turnover.

The ESDC Code of Conduct value of Respect for People reminds us of the importance of treating every person with respect and fairness by extending them care and concern, and being transparent, candid, and fair in our communications. Gossiping behind someone's back is in direct contradiction of this value.

So, what is the right thing to do? Here are some tips:

1. We need to address the reasons for why gossiping occurs. This can be achieved by filling in the informational gaps that cause people to gossip. The best approach is to engage in open and honest communication. For everyone, this means avoiding speculation and speaking directly to people. For managers and supervisors, this can mean sharing the facts with their teams so that they do not feel the need to assume or speculate. The Office of Informal Conflict Management has a number of services that are available, such as: Team Charter sessions, individual coaching, as well as workshops related to building a culture of trust, having successful difficult and brave conversations.
2. When a team member comes to us to vent, we should let them blow off steam and show concern for them. We should focus on helping the gossiper and not the gossip. If the venting becomes negative, we can try to focus on potential solutions to their problems.
3. Our colleagues at the Harassment and Violence Centre of Expertise developed an infographic that can help guide our decision-making when it comes to gossiping in the workplace, and you can access the link via the transcript below the podcast. The infographic explains that, when it comes to workplace gossip, we all have a role to play:
   • As a victim of gossip, try to change the subject, steer the conversation back to something more positive, suggest a potential solution, or simply ask the gossiper to stop. If they persist, simply walk away from the conversation and seek help from a manager or supervisor.
   • As a colleague or a witness, when we do encounter negative gossip, let it stop with you. If someone shares a negative comment or a rumor with you, don't pass it on any further. Take responsibility to act with integrity and set an example for others. If your colleague is venting or letting off steam, listen and extend your concern to them.
   • As a manager, make it clear that negative gossip will not be tolerated on your team. Then 'walk the talk' by NOT engaging in negative gossip yourself. Your own tact and discretion sets the tone for your team. If and when you need to vent, it is advisable to vent to a colleague manager that you can trust and who will be discreet. If gossip has developed into a conflict situation in the workplace, the Office of Informal Conflict Management is available to assist in resolving these situations informally, by offering conflict resolutions services such as: mediation, facilitated conversations, individual and/or group coaching, group interventions and team charter sessions. You can find more information about their services by visiting the OICM web page on ESDC's Intranet.

Outro

That wraps up today's episode on Gossip in the Workplace, and the value of Respect for People. We hope you enjoyed listening to our show and that you picked up a few tips. Remember that our words are powerful, and we have the choice to use our words to build up others and promote a healthy workplace culture.

As always, we love hearing your success stories, so please let us know how this podcast has helped you by sending an email to NC-V&E-GD@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca. Also, check out our other podcasts and products via our iService site. On behalf of the entire OVE team, take care and talk to you next time!

Bullying Podcast with James Gilbert

Ausama:

Good day to you from wherever you’re tuning into this fine Podcast. My name is Ausama Alsousi, and I am the Manager of the Office of Values and Ethics or as we like to call ourselves, the OVE.

Today’s topic is not one that is easy to talk about. Its personal, its hurtful, its complicated, and it happens. If it hasn’t happened to you personally, it’s happened to someone you know—a colleague, family, child, or a neighbour. Today, we’ll be discussing bullying. Our guest here today knows that topic all too well. Some of you may have read our guests’ article in the two-cent blog that was published on Pink Shirt Day on February 22nd, 2017. If you haven’t read the article don’t fret, it was not a prerequisite for this podcast so don’t touch that stop button. We have the privilege and honour of welcoming one of our ADM’s to the studio today: Mr. James Gilbert. Welcome, Sir and thank you so much for joining us.

James Gilbert:

Hey! Thanks so much for having me here and also thank you for being so creative and innovative at the Office of Values and Ethics in terms of using podcasts. Communications, we are always trying to find new ways to reach our audience, and so good for you for working in different ways to do that.

Ausama:

Hey! Thanks so much for having me here and also thank you for being so creative and innovative at the Office of Values and Ethics in terms of using podcasts. Communications, we are always trying to find new ways to reach our audience, and so good for you for working in different ways to do that.

Ausama:

Thank you very much, I appreciate that. I want to get right into it if you don’t mind. First, what persuaded you or convinced you to write the article?

James Gilbert:

It’s interesting, because every morning we have what we call communications and operations meetings where we kind of plan both external and internal communications for the day or for the week. In this case, Pink Shirt Day was coming up the week after and we knew that it was important, we knew that our Human Resources Branch would want to do some good communications around bullying in terms of the efforts they’re leading on improving workforce and workplace culture within ESDC, and I certainly knew it would be something that the deputies would want us to start having conversations about. We were brainstorming for ideas of what to do that would be appropriate for this, and we have our Intersection articles, we have other ways to communicate, but one thing we do is blogs! I hadn’t written a blog for a while, but without giving it much thought whatsoever I thought: Oh! I could do a blog! And by the way, did you know I’ve been bullied? And, by me saying that, it’s probably the first time it’s ever been articulated by myself and I didn’t give it much thought, wrote the blog but after I wrote the blog I gave it a lot more thought after that.

Ausama:

So I know that the article gathered a lot of attention, we got a lot of comments on the Two-Cent blog page, but I wanted to task you from your perspective, what is the reaction you got personally as a result of writing the article?

James Gilbert:

Well, I got a lot of reaction. I would characterize it as really positive but high, high volume. It really generated a lot of activity, there were a lot of comments on the actual blog, but I also had a lot of personal emails and conversations. They would range from a “Hey, James, saw your blog, that’s great you could share your story.” to “I didn’t know you moved from England, I’m an immigrant too”, and it opened up a lot of conversations on a lot of topics, but it also had a number of individuals wanting to share with me their stories of bullying and got us into kind of a very interesting, or maybe what I would characterize as a peer-support space in terms of discussing bullying and the impact both away from work as well as the problem of workplace bullying which we had good conversations of and brought a lot of this back to Gail, my colleague who’s the ADM of HR as well as our management table to make sure that bullying issues and things that I’d heard about or discussed were brought to the proper channels.

Ausama:

Great, thank you. I just wanted to go back a little bit and ask you a personal question. So, why do you think you were bullied?

James Gilbert:

That’s an interesting one. Like I said, I didn’t give the topic much thought but after I wrote the blog and had so many conversations on it, it did make me think about that. At the time I wrote the blog I was focused more on the fact that I moved from England, we were living in poverty, I’m sure my clothes were different, my accent was certainly different, and those were probably visible reasons I would say to myself why I might have been bullied and seek refuge—joining a chess club and staying inside for recess. But, I think it was probably a bit broader than that, as some of the pain was physical but some of the pain was more about just not fitting in. I think I have to look at it, one reason for being bullied was just being the odd one out, and I’m sure those kids, and a big part of my problem was that I would look at them as victims themselves, as perpetrators; I mean they’re just little kids. I think the fact that just visibly I just didn’t fit in made myself available to them to project whatever wrongs were happening in their lives onto me.

Ausama:

So you mentioned that you were physically bullied. But, was that the only kind of bullying that you were a victim of?

James Gilbert:

My first thought on the subject was that of physical bullying. The physical bullying was there, and it was quite violent and quite vicious. Kids gave names to the type of bullying, but I don’t want to get into that. When I wrote the article, what came to mind was the physical bullying, but then I started to have a conversation and started to unpack a little bit about what was going on. There was also a lot of intellectual bullying that was happening both towards kids and sometimes teachers and sometimes combined.

And so one vivid memory that I had, I would have been in Grade 4, I would have just moved to Canada and there was a soccer game going on which I would have called football. They were picking teams, and I was pleased because I played soccer in England and it’s all baseball and hockey in Canada and as much as I wanted to try those sports they were not my sport, so the fact that there was going to be a football game was great. At the time, I think, I’m 52, I think any man or woman my age would recognize this practice that I hope no longer exists in schools and I hope as a father that it doesn’t, but it’s the practice of picking teams. So they were picking teams, and the way this thing normally works is that the gym teacher takes the 2 best players who get to pick the teams, and they go on to pick better and better players that keep getting lower and lower and lower until it gets embarrassing for the people that hadn’t been picked. Well it got down to me and 2 other people, and then the teacher just decided the teams were full and we couldn’t play. So it wasn’t just a question of being made to feel the worst player but you still got to be on a team, but you didn’t even get to play. So it wasn’t just the kids, but it was the teachers and it was kind of the whole thing.

Anyways, I wasn’t thinking about that when I wrote the blog, I was thinking just about the physical brutality, but then I started thinking about stories like that, and not ones quite vivid but there were lots of those which were pretty much every day. I started to realize that the bullying which I first saw; maybe we’re on the flip side of it in our morning operations meetings where I write a blog, no big deal. When I unpacked that a little bit, I realized I don’t think you can go through that as a little kid without it having some impact on self-esteem. That made me connect a bit of the bullying with some other kind of mental health issues like anxiety and depression that I struggled with pretty much my entire adult life.

Ausama:

So, you’ve kind of made reference to this but I just wanted to ask you was the experience of you writing the blog article a cathartic one for you?

James Gilbert:

Well, it obviously was, but I guess being cathartic doesn’t make it easy. I wrote the article, I’m glad I did, it was a good message to share, and I think it started a lot of really fantastic conversations. What I wasn’t ready for is that it also started my own conversation around my move to Canada, my childhood, and a whole bunch of stuff. So in a way, it helped me connect a few of the dots, and I’m on a bit of that mindfulness, learning journey where I’m trying to kind of heal myself, make my branch, ESDC, as well as myself kind of better all-around. So, I’m on a little bit of kind of that healing journey and I think the bullying story kind of fit into that a little and helped me connect the dots. But most importantly, it’s helped me as an ADM at ESDC encourage others to start having the same type of conversations where you can share a little bit about yourself and get a conversation going that really touches on a lot of important issues both outside the workplace and within the workplace. And so I think that was important.

Probably in terms of writing the blog, the biggest thanks I got were a number of managers who stopped me—and I didn’t know them, they excused themselves for the interruption and introduced themselves and then said: I just wanted to let you know I wanted to thank you for writing your blog, I used this at a staff meeting to discuss bullying. And that happened to me 4 or 5 times and I’ve just been blown away that something I wrote would be used by a manager I don’t know to have a conversation about such an important thing, and you don’t know what the ripple effects of those kinds of things are going to be. So as difficult as it was for myself which I found out after the fact, I think it did help in my own healing, but most importantly I think it helped getting good conversations so that other people can kind of start to share the same health and healing.

Ausama:

Well, once again thank you so much for joining me today and sharing your story. We know that this topic is a very sensitive one and a very serious one. If you’d like to speak to someone about bullying, you can contact us at the Office of Values and Ethics, or if you’d like to speak to someone right away, you can contact the Employee Assistance Program at 1-800-268-7708. They are there for you. You can also contact one of your other resources including the Office of Informal Conflict Management, the Harassment Complaint Resolution Program, your Union Representative, and your Team Leader or Manager. We are here for you, don’t suffer in silence.

Eric:

Hello all and thank you for tuning into our ASPIRE podcast series. My name is Eric Chartrand. I am a Values and Ethics Advisor with the Office of Values and Ethics, or as we call ourselves, the OVE.

Today's topic is one that oftentimes incites anxiety in the hearts of public servants – whistleblowing or disclosure of wrongdoing. Joining me today is an expert in organizational excellence, strong management and fostering a positive and respectful workplace. Please join me in welcoming Dr. Craig Dowden to the studio today. Dr. Dowden, thank you so much for being here today.

Craig:

Thanks so much Eric. It's a pleasure to be here, and to talk about a topic that's certainly on top of mind for many people today.

Eric:

So delving right into the core of this issue: A lot of my questions stem from your report titled The Sound of Silence: Whistleblowing and the Fear of Reprisal. So onto the first question, why is it that whistleblowing is a difficult decision, especially for public servants?

Craig:

It's a great question. And I think when you look at the data- especially from the PSCS Survey Results, when people ask: "so what prevents you from speaking up". The top 2 answers- and approximately half of people will say 1: that it's not going to make a difference, so whatever I'm going to say it's not going to matter. And then the second one is maybe an older maybe fear of reprisal. And I think when you start to dive into the evidence what's really interesting is that this is a social phenomenon. One of my favorite pieces of research that was done is around "is whistleblowing or disclosure an optical illusion". I love how they position that. It is basically to say a lot of the time when we look at this we say "ok, it's the right thing to do". So there's fairness, so we all want to strive for fairness. At the same time, disclosing- speaking up actually starts to trigger our loyalty. So we have a special affinity to our "in" group. So there's this type of position of is this simply a matter of doing what's right. And I think the other piece is that we are all social creatures. So for an example, there is fear of retribution. That's pretty common. On top of that as well, you know how open are my colleagues to this conversation? How much conflict is this going to cause? So there's lots of different challenges that come with this. And the other piece too is that if we're in a group, if Eric isn't speaking up maybe I'm the only one who thinks this is an issue. So now I'm going to be quiet until someone else says something. So there's all of those elements. What if I'm wrong? What if then I'm going to be put out of the group. So there's all of those human dynamics that come with it. We think that's at the core of it- why it's so difficult for people to say something.

Eric:

Thank you for that. This relates to the purpose behind ASPIRE which is to create a culture shift in order to promote positivity, transparency, respect and open communication in the workplace. Without a strong foundation, it will be very difficult to create this shift. What are your thoughts on a culture change and how it will reduce the fear of reprisal?

Craig:

Well, and I love that question Eric because it's about the culture change. And one of the most compelling pieces of research that I came across in my review is where they talked about it: what were the most powerful factors that would trigger or motivate someone to speak up. What was really interesting... they had policies and procedures related to whistleblowing as part of that list; and in fact, that was one of the weakest predictors. So again, the 4 mechanisms there- what was the strongest, and I love this. It was leaders who proactively sought out feedback from other people and then acted on that feedback and recommendation. That didn't necessarily mean that they had to do something-action can be "Hey Eric, here are the reasons why I can't do something about this". But the key part is: do I ask for, and then act on the feedback in some way. And I think when you step back and think about it, it makes so much sense because the actions of the leadership team are going to profoundly influence how people engage with the formal mechanisms in place. And I think one of the challenges around the culture shift is we can take comfort in- well we've got policies and procedures, people are going to use them. That is a mistake and assumption. Because if I don't trust that you're going to handle my feedback well, or I don't trust that the mechanism is going to handle this appropriately, I'm not going to use it. I would rather be cautious and risk-adverse. And again, I love that culture shift, because the leadership sets the tone. So if you're out there asking people and having open conversations about: "hey, what are some of the challenges we may face", or "what are some things that I might not be considering about what's being done"; that has a huge impact on people's willingness to engage in those.

Eric:

So I guess the human element comes in a bit, as opposed to written down on paper this is the process. You need that human element to encourage the behaviour and the culture change.

Craig:

Exactly! And whatever frame, no matter how great it is, and we see it all the time, no matter how thoughtful a policy or procedure is, then it's the human dynamic within it. Another example I share is the open door policy, someone thinks: "oh, I've got an open door policy"; Eric knows he can come in and see me. He may or may not know that. It depends on: do I make it welcoming to come in, is my door truly open, when you come in, do I smile and say, sit down, let's have a conversation, put my Blackberry or iPhone away, shut down my computer. All of those kinds of powerful cues reinforce whether or not. I can think I have an open door policy, but whether or not someone uses it is entirely different. So I think being mindful about how those things are perceived is huge around the culture shift.

Eric:

It relates to the philosophy of ASPIRE which derives from the Butterfly Effect in that, even the smallest progressive action can have a positive ripple effect on the entire organization. What can be done to normalize whistleblowing and eradicate the fear that comes with it?

Craig:

A great question. And just to build on, I love that you used the butterfly effect, because another powerful piece of research that I came through in terms of my review, was look at the dynamics. You can look at employees views of the ethicality of the leader, but also how ethical I think my colleagues are. What they found was, when the combination of my leader has ethics and my coworkers have ethics that maximizes the chances I'm going to speak up. If one of them has it but the other doesn't, then that minimizes it. Back to there butterfly—everyone contributes to the ethical conduct which affects the culture shift. That's why it's so important for leaders to step in, not only in terms of their own behaviour, also what's happening within the group because if they condone and/or allow certain things to happen, that's going to colour the team members used of each other's behaviour. To go back and answer your question about the feedback, I think it's to create an environment where feedback is a part of our day-to-day. Often times, performance discussions are "well, it's time to sit down and go through your feedback". It happens so intermittently, and it's generally about: "well, it's time to talk". Feedback needs to become a normalized part f our day-to-day experience. And in fact, when we're giving back and receiving feedback, it's expected and desired. A couple of key things that can be done particularly on the leadership side is to have a conversation within the team. "How can we create an environment where we all feel comfortable to share things that are concerning to us", "What are some of the core practices we can do", "How can we create that environment". Another one of my favorite practices is to actually nominate a devil's advocate at each team meeting. So basically my job when I'm a devil's advocate is when people position ideas, my role is to challenge them- respectively of course. Just apply the contrarian perspective. And ideally, rotate that role so that everyone gets experience in stepping in and being the contrarian. What is does is normalize a dissenting view so that you don't get everyone around the table nodding their heads. I think feedback is one of the most challenging things for us because we have a view of who we are, and when we receive feedback that is counter to that, our natural instinct is to shut it down, rather than learn from it. Doug Stone out of the Harvard negotiation project has done a lot of work in this. His latest book is called "Thanks for the Feedback". One of the most powerful things he shared when I interviewed him a few weeks ago was that all the courses that are out there are on how to give feedback effectively. A big miss, is how do you receive it. So you can structure it whatever way you want. If I block that incoming feedback, that's an obstacle that I see incoming. So we've got to minimize the factors that may illicit a defensive response or me stepping away from it. How best can I share feedback with you, Eric so that you are open to receiving it and vice versa.

Eric:

Right. I think that's really interesting the idea of the devil's advocate and rotating it to get different people's contrarian point of view, but you'll get different perspectives on that contrary point of view as well. It can only help to create a positive-moving momentum moving forward.

Craig:

You're so right. And what's really cool too is that sometimes you'll always have the same person volunteer to be the devil's advocate. What's neat is when you can spread it out ideally and voluntarily, what it does is that everyone has an opportunity to exercise that muscle. And to your point, which is also a really important one, is that you have a diversity of perspectives that are being encapsulated by the devil's advocate role. It is just a wonderful way to skill build, and also then add that diversity of perspective on the table to these issues.

Eric:

Thank you so much for joining us in the studio today. To all our listeners, please contact the Office of Values and Ethics, Senior Disclosure Officer or Public Service Integrity Commissioner for any questions regarding the disclosure of wrong doing. For more information, tools, and resources about ASPIRE, join our ASPIRE GCConnex group or check out our ASPIRE GCPedia page. This has been our discussion with Craig Dowden. Thank you.

Craig:

Thank you very much.

Ausama:

Hello and welcome to yet another installment of our fine podcast. My name is Ausama Alsousi and I am the Manager of the Office of Values and Ethics or the OVE, as we like to call ourselves.

Today we will be discussing the Code of Conduct and its importance to us as public servants and employees of Employment and Social Development Canada, which has, as you may know by now, been recognised as one of the National Capital Region's Top Employers.

Specifically, we will be talking about what we're calling "Terminable Offences". Our discussion will focus on raising awareness of the types of behaviours and actions to avoid.

Before we start, it's important to know that this podcast is meant to give you a learning opportunity and ensure you understand key information related to "Terminable Offences". We begin with the premise that employees are respectful, civil and professional. However, a rare few may not realize that some of their behaviours could ultimately lead to the termination of their employment.

Joining me to offer her expertise is Alana Viola, Senior Labour Relations Advisor with the Human Resources Service Branch. Alana, welcome to the studio today!

Alana:

Thanks, Ausama, I'm happy to be here to talk about this important topic.

Ausama:

Why don't we start at the top: what are Terminable Offences, from a Labour Relations perspective?

Alana:

That's a great question. From the world of Labour Relations, a Terminable Offense is a type of misconduct that is serious enough to put an individual's employment at risk or to an end. Typically, the misconduct is the result of a willful and intentional act breaching a Code of Conduct or any applicable policy, rule or standard. Let me give you some examples of different types of misconduct that may lead to termination of employment:

• Unauthorized access, use or modification of information resulting in preferential treatment, disclosure to a third party and/or a personal benefit
• Forgery of a medical note
• Providing misleading information when requesting leave
• Falsification of travel or other expense claims
• Fraudulent overtime or timesheet claims
• Theft
• Dishonesty in a staffing process
• Harassment (including sexual), discrimination and violence in the workplace
• Accepting or soliciting a bribe

It's also important to point out a few things here:

1. Termination may occur after a series of acts of misconduct, we are talking about progressive discipline, or a single act of serious misconduct.
2. Termination is the most severe disciplinary measure, and the decision to proceed is taken only after careful consideration of all factors.
3. Only culpable behaviour is to be considered for disciplinary measures, as culpable behaviour is under the employee's control; so, deliberate and voluntary. Whereas, non-culpable behaviour should not be subject to disciplinary measures, as it outside of the employee's control.

To give you a quick example of a non-culpable situation: an employee who, despite their best efforts and engagement, is unable to meet performance expectations of their job.

Ausama:

Why is it important for each employee to know this?

Alana:

There has been an increase in the number of breaches of the ESDC Code of Conduct over the past few years. Since the core mandate of the Department is to provide programs and services to Canadian citizens, it is essential that they have confidence in those with access to their personal information.

It is important for each of us to remember that the ESDC Code of Conduct is part of our Conditions of Employment. Employees are expected to adhere to the Code of Conduct both inside and outside of the workplace. As with any relationship, trust is the basis of your relationship with your employer. There is a saying "that trust arrives on foot but flees on a horse."

Ausama:

What is the most important thing for employees to know moving forward?

Alana:

It is important to keep in mind we all have a responsibility to foster a respectful and healthy workplace, free of wrongdoing. As an employee, there are times when you are faced with questions of what is right or fair. When considering how to conduct yourself in a difficult situation, it may help to ask yourself:

• What are the consequences associated with my actions?
• Would I be upset or embarrassed if my actions were reported in the media?
• Would I be uncomfortable discussing my actions with my manager or colleagues?
• Do I personally or does someone close to me stand to benefit or gain advantage as a result of my actions?

Ausama:

Where can employees go to find out more?

Alana:

We strongly encourage all employees to familiarize themselves with the Values and Ethics intranet site where they can find information such as tools, resources and messages on the subject.

More importantly, I would suggest that all employees take time to read the Code of Conduct and to consult with their managers if they have questions. If you are unsure whether your actions in the workplace could constitute misconduct, stop what you are doing and consult with your manager.

Ausama:

Just to conclude, if you would like to find out more about Terminable Offences or the Code of Conduct, please contact the OVE by sending an email at NC-V&E-GD.

If you're a manager, you can also contact the Labour Relations team by submitting a ticket through the Human Resources Service Centre portal found on iService.

Thank you all for listening and stay tuned for more Aspire podcasts coming your way!

Jacinthe:

Hi everyone. I hope that you are all enjoying your Podcast series so far and that you have all learned a thing or two. Today, we want to talk about something that has become more and more present in our life for the last 10-15 years. I'm talking about Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Blogs, you name it! In fact, did you know that 64% of Canadians have a social media network profile? That's a lot of people liking cat videos actually. Social networks are public domain and are permanent and not private. Kind of like a worldwide public bulletin board. And as a government employee, you have to be extra careful when posting something on social media.

Moss:

Ok. So hold on Jacinthe. So are you saying that as a Federal Government employee, I should be careful about what I post on my personal social media account? Isn't that, like, my personal stuff? What I post on there has practically nothing to do with my job. Doesn't it count as freedom of speech as per the Charter of Rights and Freedoms?

Jacinthe:

Oh, yeah, of course, we're all protected by the Charter. The thing is that if you publically identify yourself as a government employee, on any platform you must abide by the Code of Conduct of the government. And as a public servant, freedom of speech does not mean freedom from consequences. You're bound by certain restrictions both by your personal life and by your professional life. Here's what you should always keep in consideration when you post anything on social media. You actually cannot identify yourself as an ESDC employee on social media account unless the account is a Federal government approved professional account and you are the designated spokesperson. You should never speak on behalf of the department and you should always respect the duty of loyalty in the Code of Conduct. Always ensure political neutrality and impartiality in your comments. Refrain from public criticism of the Government of Canada, ESDC or its policies, and avoid statements that would appear to impair your ability to preform your duties. You should always respect ESDC's confidentiality and privacy. Avoid causing harm to ESDC, its reputations, and programs, and respect the values and ethics code for the public sector. You should always respect the ESDC Code of Conduct, respect the Guidelines of Conduct for Service Canada, and respect the guidelines of professional conduct for the Labour Program. For example, you know all the articles in the news about Pheonix, or even when the Prime Minister was elected? Well, you're allowed to share those articles on social media networks and even comment on them- just as long as you don't identify yourself as a public servant on any social media platform. But it does not mean that since you're not identified that you're allowed to share sensitive information about your job. When you sign your letter of offer, you agree to the terms in the Code of Conduct. Therefore, you have to respect the Code.

Moss:

Oh. I get it now. As long as I respect and abide by the Code of Conduct, I shouldn't have to worry about my social media posts.

Jacinthe:

Exactly. I'd like to thank you guys for taking a few minutes to listen to our Podcast series. If you'd like to speak to someone about social media or the sharing of information, please contact us at the Office of Values and Ethics (NC-OVE-AC-BE@HRSDC-HRDCC.GC.CA). Also, checkout our IService site. For more information, tools and resources about Aspire, join our Aspire GCConnex group, or check out our Aspire GCPedia page. Bye!