Canadian Archivists are not longer allowed to freely speak to the public unless their message is approved by the government. This presentation was sent to me in confidence by an archivist.

1. LAC CODE OF CONDUCT
Values and Ethics

2. Methodology
• Two hours of training
• Section I - What are Ethics?
• Section II - Values and Ethics Code
• Section III - Conflict of interest and post-
employment
• Questions?

3. Why a Values and Ethics Code?
The Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector (VECPS) came into
effect on April 2, 2012. It was created in accordance with
subsection 5(1) of the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act
(PSDPA), which requires that Treasury Board establish a code of
conduct applicable to the public sector.
The VECPS also stipulates that all departments shall establish their
own code of conduct to complement the more general VECPS.

4. LAC Code of Conduct
Objectives of the Presentation
• Understand the concepts of values and ethics in LAC and
highlight the importance of being a value-based organization;
• Understand personal and organizational values;
• Show why the collective organizational values of the employees
are essential for overall organizational efficiency.

5. Section I
What are Ethics?

6. What are Values?
Values are something intrinsically useful or desirable; something
that is considered desirable, valid or fair, such as a belief,
standard or moral precept. For the organization, this means
recourse to “desirable behaviours” required to fulfill a mandate.
Values help us establish standards, which allow us to choose our
behaviour, make decisions, express our needs, and follow our
personal path.

7. What are Ethics?
• Ethics are a reflection of the
manner in which values are
applied in decision making.
They involve distinguishing
right from wrong and
choosing the best option.
• For LAC, ethics correspond
to the implementation of
LAC values; they reflect the
manner in which these values
are applied to the decision-
making process as such.

8. Methods of Behaviour Regulation
HeterogulationSelf-regulation
ETHICS CODE OF ETHICS LAW MORALS MORALE

9. Methods of Behaviour Regulation
Self-regulation Heteroregulation
ETHICS CODE OF ETHICS LAW MORALS MORALE
Decision Judgment Compliance Submission Conformity Discipline Authority
Shared sense, Engagement and Adherence and Conviction, Conformism, Conviction and Respect for
Self-mastery responsibility sanction awareness routine, sanction rules, sanction
and sanction respect for
others,
fear of rejection
Statement Statement of Codes of Legislation, Implicit Scriptures, Transmission,
of Values, ethics, citizenship cultural charters, monitoring
Values, discussion, training, education, system gathering supervision
discussion, dialogue, discipline courts, and customs, places,
dialogue, training, committee, police, rituals and authority
orientation decisions, ethics prison celebrations,
counsel, committee group pressure
mediation and
conciliation
mechanisms
Dynamic
Motivation
Provisions

10. Personal Values versus
Organizational Values
• What is meant by personal values?
Personal values are based on family or hereditary values as well as cultural
norms linked to societal values. They are integrated into our habits,
personal convictions and assumptions about ourselves and others.
• What is meant by organizational values?
Organizational values are made public and are widely visible. They
provide a collective vision of the ideas and behavioural standards
expected in an organization, associated with what is appropriate, how it
should be done, and the underlying reasons for doing so.

11. Section II
Values and Ethics Code

12. Values and Ethics Code

13. LAC Statement of Principles
• Leadership
• Service culture
• Compliance
• Responsible use of our resources
• Exemplary behaviour
• Respect
• Demonstrate openness

14. LAC Values and Ethics
• RESPECT FOR DEMOCRACY
• RESPECT FOR PEOPLE
• INTEGRITY
• STEWARDSHIP
• EXCELLENCE

15. RESPECT FOR DEMOCRACY
Public servants uphold the Canadian parliamentary democracy and its
institutions by:
• respecting the rule of law and carrying out their duties in accordance
with legislation, policies and directives in a non-partisan and
impartial manner;
• loyally carrying out the lawful decisions of their leaders and
supporting ministers in their accountability to Parliament and
Canadians;
• providing decision makers with all the information, analysis and
advice they need, while always striving to be open, candid and
impartial.

16. RESPECT FOR PEOPLE
Public servants respect human dignity and the value of every person by:
• treating every person with respect and fairness;
• valuing diversity and the benefit of combining the unique qualities
and strengths inherent in a diverse workforce;
• helping to create and maintain safe and healthy workplaces that are
free from harassment and discrimination;
• working together in a spirit of openness, honesty and transparency
that encourages engagement, collaboration and respectful
communication.

17. INTEGRITY
Public servants serve the public interest by:
• acting at all times with integrity and in a manner that will bear the
closest public scrutiny, an obligation that may not be fully satisfied
by simply acting within the law;
• never using their official roles to inappropriately obtain an
advantage for themselves or others or to put others at a
disadvantage;
• taking all possible steps to prevent and resolve any real, apparent or
potential conflicts of interest between their official responsibilities
and their private affairs in favour of the public interest;
• acting in such a way as to maintain their employer’s trust.

18. STEWARDSHIP
Public servants use resources responsibly by:
• effectively and efficiently using the public money, property
and resources managed by them;
• considering the present and long-term effects that their actions
have on people and on the environment;
• acquiring, preserving and sharing knowledge and information,
as appropriate.

19. EXCELLENCE
Public servants demonstrate professional excellence by:
• providing fair, timely, efficient and effective services that
respect Canada’s official languages;
• continually improving the quality of policies, programs and
services they provide;
• fostering a work environment that promotes teamwork,
learning and innovation.

20. DUTY OF LOYALTY
• Employment in the public service involves certain restrictions.
• Public servants owe a duty of loyalty to their employer, the
Government of Canada. This duty derives from the essential
mission of the public service to help the duly elected
government, under law, to serve the public interest and
implement government policies and ministerial decisions.
• The duty of loyalty reflects the importance and necessity of
having an impartial and effective public service to achieve this
mission.

21. DUTY OF LOYALTY (continued)
• As public servants, our duty of loyalty to the Government of
Canada and its elected representatives extends beyond our
workplace to our personal activities.
• Public servants must therefore use caution when making
public comments, expressing personal opinions or taking
actions that could potentially damage LAC’s reputation
or public confidence in the public service and the
Government of Canada.

22. DUTY OF LOYALTY (continued)
With the current proliferation of social media, public servants need to pay
particular attention to their participation in these forums.
Example
In a blog with access limited to certain friends, personal opinions about a
new departmental or Government of Canada program intended to be
expressed to a limited audience can, through no fault of the public servant,
become public and the author identified. The public servant could be
subject to disciplinary measures. Only authorized spokespersons can issue
statements or make comments about LAC’s position on a given subject. If
you are asked for LAC’s position, you must refer the inquiries, through
your manager, to the authorized LAC spokesperson.

23. Video (social media)
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFqjyB7KDmA

24. The Duty of Loyalty is Not Absolute
• The Government is engaged in illegal acts.
• Government policies jeopardize life, health or
safety.
• Criticism of the public servant does not affect
his or her ability to fulfill his or her duties
effectively, or the public perception of this
ability.

25. Consultation
• Do you have any comments and / or concerns in
relation to Article 4.4.2?
• 2. Do you have any comments and / or concerns
regarding the article about loyalty?
• 3. Do you have any comments and / or concerns in
relation to other sections of the code?

26. Section III
Conflict of interest and post-
employment

27. Conflict of Interest Triangle
Outside activities
Position
LAC employee
LAC employee

28. Conflict of Interest and
Post-Employment
• In the public service, the appearance and
perception of a conflict of interest present just
as much risk and, consequently, are just as
important to manage as a real conflict of
interest. These considerations extend to
employees planning to leave LAC and, in
some cases, apply for a one-year period after
their departure.

29. Gifts and Hospitality:
What can I Accept?
Acceptance of gifts, hospitality, travel and other benefits for work-
related activities is permissible only if these benefits meet all the
following criteria:
• They are infrequent and of minimal value, such as low-cost
promotional objects, simple meals or souvenirs with no cash value;
• They arise out of activities or events related to official duties of the
public servant concerned;
• They are within the normal standards of courtesy, hospitality or
protocol;
• They do not compromise or appear to compromise the employee’s or
the department’s integrity in any way.

30. Conflict of Interest
In your opinion, to what extent is it acceptable to help a
supplier obtain contracts with the Government of
Canada?
1. always acceptable
2. sometimes acceptable
3. don’t know
4. unacceptable

31. Conflict of Interest (continued)
In your opinion, to what extent is it advisable to accept
gifts or invitations from LAC suppliers?
1. always acceptable
2. sometimes acceptable
3. don’t know
4. unacceptable

32. Courses of Action
An employee facing an ethical
dilemma or wishing an
interpretation of the VECPS
and/or the LAC Code of Conduct
must:
Step 1: Speak to supervisor
about a solution or clarification.
Resolution, or, if impasse, go to
Step 2.
Step 2: Speak to the conflict of
interest administrator for a solution
or clarification. Resolution, or, if
impasse, go to Step 3.
Step 3: The Champion, Values
and Ethics reviews the issue
and provides a decision or
interpretation. Resolution, or, if
impasse, go to Step 4..
Step 4: Grievance Procedure
(contact union
representative).

33. Courses of Action
for Wrongdoing
An employee who believes that there has
been wrongdoing in the workplace must:
Step 1: Speak to supervisor about a
solution or clarification. Resolution, or, if
impasse, go to Step 2.
Step 2: The Champion, Values and Ethics
reviews the issue and provides a
decision or interpretation. Resolution, or,
if impasse, go to Step 3..
Step 3: Report the situation
to the Office of the Public
Sector Integrity
Commissioner of Canada.

34. Questions
?

35. Resource Persons
Mark C. Melanson, CGA
Champion, Values and Ethics
Senior Director General
Services Branch
Laurie-Eve Bergeron, CRHA
Director
Human Resources
550 de la Cité Boulevard
Gatineau, Quebec K1A 0N4
Telephone: 819-918-7451
Sylvie Houle
Manager, Labour Relations, Compensation and HRIS
8-49, 550 de la Cité Boulevard
Gatineau, Quebec K1A ON4
Telephone: 613-808-5874
Fax: 819-934-5393
Email: sylvie.houle@lac-bac.gc.ca

36. José Vasquez
Values and Ethics Senior Advisor
Labour Relations and Compensation Section
Human Resources Division
Corporate Resourcing Branch
550 de la Cité Boulevard
Gatineau, Quebec K1A ON4
Telephone: 613-410-4852
Fax: 819-934-4428
Email: José.Vasquez@bac-lac.gc.ca