Ethics

The ALRC fosters a culture of integrity, honesty and fairness in the workplace and actively seeks to comply with all relevant laws, regulations, codes and government standards.

The ALRC’s Code of Conduct outlines the expectations applied to staff in relation to their conduct in the performance of their job, including interactions outside and within the workplace. The ALRC’s Code of Conduct requires all employees to comply with certain standards when acting in the course of their employment.

The ALRC Code of Conduct requires that an employee must:

  • behave honestly and with integrity in the course of their employment;
  • act with care and diligence in the course of their employment;
  • when acting in the course of their employment, treat everyone with respect and courtesy, and without harassment;
  • when acting in the course of their employment, comply with all applicable Australian laws;
  • comply with any lawful and reasonable direction given by someone employed by the ALRC who has authority to give the direction;
  • maintain appropriate confidentiality about dealings;
  • disclose, and take reasonable steps to avoid, any conflict of interest (real or apparent) in connection with their employment;
  • use ALRC resources in a proper manner;
  • not provide false or misleading information in response to a request for information that is made for official purposes in connection with the employee’s employment;
  • not make improper use of:  
    1. inside information; or
    2. the employee’s duties, status, power or authority, 

in order to gain, or seek to gain, a benefit or advantage for the employee or for any other person;

  • at all times behave in a way that upholds the integrity and good reputation of the ALRC; and
  • while on duty overseas, at all times behave in a way that upholds the good reputation of Australia.

An ALRC employee must not disclose information which he or she obtains or generates in connection with his or her employment if it is reasonably foreseeable that the disclosure could be prejudicial to the effective working of the ALRC or the Australian Government, including the formulation or implementation of policies or programs.

An ALRC employee must not disclose information obtained or generated in connection with his or her employment if the information:

  • was or is to be communicated in confidence; or
  • was received in confidence by the ALRC from a person or persons outside the agency.

It is an exception to this requirement where:

  • the information is disclosed in the course of the ALRC employee’s duties;
  • the information is disclosed in accordance with an authorisation given by the ALRC President;
  • the disclosure is otherwise authorised by law; or
  • the information that is disclosed is already in the public domain as the result of a disclosure of information that is lawful.

Possible breaches of the Code of Conduct will be dealt with in accordance with clause 47 of the ALRC Union Collective Agreement 2007–2010, and under procedures established by the President which satisfy the principles of natural justice. Where misconduct is found, the President may take any combination of actions specified in the ALRC Union Collective Agreement 2007–2010, including reduction of salary, suspension or termination of employment.