APS Values and Code of Conduct in Practice
Employees of the Australian Public Service (APS) are trusted by the Government and the community to undertake important work on their behalf. This trust demands the highest standards of ethical behaviour from each APS employee.
The guide has been developed to help APS employees, managers and agencies to deal with ethical problems that commonly arise. It does not have the answer to every ethical problem that you may be faced with at work. It does however provide principles which will point to an answer in many cases.
Your questions answered
If you have a question about the APS Values or the Code of Conduct, let us know. There are some limits on what we can tell you, and we don't give legal advice. We will use this space to publish your query, and our answer, but we will keep your identity and other employment details confidential so far as the law allows.
Email to us at ethics [at] apsc.gov.au
For more information about your privacy, please refer to the Ethics Advisory Service collection notice.
Working with minister's offices
While it is not unusual for Ministers and ministerial advisers to deal directly with APS staff across many levels, they can’t direct you about what to do or how to do it.
Disclosing information in the course of your duties
There are many reasons why you might disclose information in the course of your duties.
Managing relationships
Conflicts of interest can arise from any personal relationship. You need to ask yourself whether a reasonable observer would be confident that you could make the right decision in an objective, impartial way.