Stewardship - Questions and Answers

For each of the behaviours linked to the value of stewardship, you will find a question and answer on this page to guide you in your behaviours.

Expected behaviour: i) Effectively and efficiently using the public money, property and resources managed by employees.

• Can I read the newspaper, do my banking on the internet at my workstation and send personal emails to friends, colleagues and family?

  Yes, this type of personal use is permitted if done during personal time (i.e. breaks, lunch time, before or after work), provided the content of the emails is acceptable and network activities are lawful. The ESDC Code of Conduct provides a list of acceptable network activities versus unacceptable and unlawful personal network activities.

Expected behaviour: ii) Considering the present and long-term effects that employees’ actions have on people and the environment.

• As a public servant, what am I allowed to post on social media sites such as Facebook?

  As public servants, generally speaking, what you do on your own time is a personal decision. However, whether you are on duty or off duty, you must not post anything online that could affect your effectiveness as an employee or undermine the impartiality of the federal public service, such as posting comments that reveal confidential information about government policies, programs and officials or criticizing colleagues who are identified as pseudonyms in a blog. Further guidance can be found in the ESDC Code of Conduct and in the ESDC Handbook for the Personal and Official Use of the Internet and IntraWeb.

• What can I do on a daily basis to have a positive and lasting effect on the environment?

  Every day, you can take concrete measures to have a positive and lasting effect on the environment, such as using teleconference or videoconference technology, when this is possible, rather than travel; turning off lights before leaving a boardroom and placing paper in blue recycling bins. Using public transportation to and from work also goes a long way in contributing to environment preservation efforts. ESDC's Environmental Management Services Web section also provides excellent tips on ‘greening’ your work environment.

Expected behaviour: iii) Acquiring, preserving and sharing knowledge and information as appropriate.

• What can I do to make sure important knowledge and information is preserved and shared?

  You are responsible for keeping complete, accurate records of all of your business transactions and for making sure that the information you create or receive is identified and kept according to the approved departmental procedures. For more information, refer to Treasury Board’s Policy on Information Management.