EMPLOYEE CODE OF CONDUCT

PURPOSE:

To establish an acceptable level of conduct and behavior from all employees, as provided by department policy, Department of Personnel and appropriate union contracts.

1. Act with regard towards the veteran home residents; treat them kindly and in a well-mannered fashion. Physical or verbal abuse, teasing, threatening, pushing, slapping or striking a resident will not be tolerated.

2. Be enthusiastic in carrying out the responsibilities of your job; be proud of the special skills, talents and knowledge that are uniquely yours.

3. Employees are expected to display a professional attitude towards co-workers and the public.

4. As each employee learns his/her job, feel free to make suggestions and recommendations; employee ideas may help contribute to meeting facility goals.

5. Treat the personal property of the veteran home resident with care; use state equipment, supplies and property wisely.

6. Never use indecent or profane language in the presence of veteran home residents or co-workers.

7. Never willfully disclose to any person any information not generally available to members of the public which you may receive or acquire in the course of your official duties as an employee. If contacted or approached by individuals from the media, in reference to facility matters, you must immediately report this to your supervisor.

8. All outside employment must be reported to the Personnel Office in order to determine if a conflict of interest exists between the employee's full-time job with the state and their part-time position. This is especially critical if employees work for another state facility or institution. Failure to report outside work, upon discovery, will subject the employee to appropriate disciplinary action.

Any outside employment or service, whether compensated or not, which might reasonably be expected to impair your objectivity and independence of judgment in the exercise of your official duties is not allowed.

9. The acceptance of any gift, fee, favor, service or other thing of value given or offered for the purpose of influencing the charge of your official duties is prohibited.

Individuals wishing to leave money for veteran home resident must be referred to the Business Office. Individuals who wish to donate items to any NJ Veterans Memorial Home must be referred to the Activities Office.

10. Never engage in any political or partisan activity if your salary, whether whole or in part, is derived from federal funds. This is in compliance with Federal Law (Section 12(a), Act of August 2, 1939, as amended). Employees covered by the statute must assume the responsibility for seeing that their activities do not violate it.

11. State Property: No person is permitted to mutilate, destroy, deface, change or abuse state property, this includes, equipment, vehicles, buildings, furniture, supplies and records. Any such acts must be reported to your immediate supervisor and the facilities Security/Police Department. If an employee is found guilty of any such actions, they will be responsible to make restitution.

12. Personal Property: The NJ Veterans Memorial Home Facilities are open, as such, it is the individual employees responsibility to secure their valuables. Personal property such as pocketbooks, purses, wallets, watches, jewelry, tools, and rings must be safely locked up in your car to avoid being lost. Any loss of personal property must be reported to the facilities Security/Police Department.

13. Employee Visitors: On duty employees are not permitted to have visitors except in cases of emergency or urgent matters. Visits are to be for a limited duration only. While a visitor is on grounds, he/she is not permitted to use any state property or equipment. Prior approval from your supervisor must be obtained if a visitor plans to visit you on a non-emergency basis.

Employees who have completed their tour of duty are not permitted to remain on grounds, unless they are functioning in a volunteer capacity or have been assigned to be at the facility by their supervisor.

Off duty employees are not permitted to visit on duty employees.

14. Debts: All employees are expected to pay their just debts. Failure to do so can result in your salary being garnished through appropriate legal actions.

15. Sleeping on Duty: Sleeping on duty or inattention to one's job responsibilities will be grounds for appropriate disciplinary action, to include removal.

16. Photographing Veteran Home Residents: Under no circumstances may veteran home residents be photographed unless specific permission is granted by the Chief Executive Officer and the appropriate consent forms are signed.

17. Drug or Alcohol Use: Employees are not permitted to bring or consume alcoholic beverages or use habit forming drugs on facility grounds. Any employee reporting for duty under the influence or intoxicating beverages or habit forming drugs, while on duty, will be subject to disciplinary action to include removal. It is the duty of every employee to report immediately to his/her supervisor anyone who appears to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs while on duty or when reporting for duty.

18. Search of Vehicles: State employees who drive on to the state property subject themselves to a search by facilities Security/Police Department, if a probable cause exists. Search of one's vehicle may also occur in limited sections of the car, if ownership or registration of said vehicle cannot be produced.

19. Smoking: Smoking is NOT PERMITTED within any State Building. Each Veterans Home will designate areas on the facility grounds for smoking. It must be noted, there will be no smoking permitted at any entrance or exit of a State Building. Further, smoking will only be allowed during designate break times and lunch.

20. Reading on Duty: Recreational reading on duty is prohibited. Employees are authorized to read such official documents as directives, memoranda, or other material that has been sent to your work area for your specific information. Reading to veteran home residents is authorized if it is part of their planned activities program or they have difficulty reading.

21. Contact with Family Members: Employees are not permitted to write to or correspond with families, guardians, relatives or friends of veteran home residents. All inquiries from individuals concerning information about a veteran home resident must be referred to the Office of the Chief Executive Officer.

22. Reporting Major and Unusual Incidents: A Major and Unusual Incident is defined as "an occurrence not ordinarily encountered in facility routine in which the safety of a veteran home resident or employee is affected."

All such incidents involving either a veteran home resident or employee shall be reported immediately. Employees are to report to their immediate supervisor, in their absence, the person next in charge. If you have a question whether or not to report an incident, ask your supervisor.

23. Reporting Suspected Mistreatment or Corporal Punishment: Mistreatment is defined as physical abuse, verbal abuse, verbal teasing, verbal degradation or threats, neglect. Corporal punishment is defined as any punishment cause or intended to cause bodily pain or suffering. This includes, slaps, kicks, punches, blows, arm twisting or similar actions.

Any person failing to report a suspected incident of veteran home resident abuse may be charged with disorderly person and be subject to a fine or imprisonment or both. All suspected incidents of mistreatment or corporal punishment must be reported to your immediate supervisor.

Any employee found guilty of abuse or corporal punishment, will have the matter turned over to the local Police Department for criminal prosecution. The employee is subject to appropriate disciplinary action of removal.

24. Personal Telephone Calls: Employees are not permitted to receive or make personal telephone calls during their working hours at their work station. It is the employee's responsibility to see that your family members, business associates and friends do not make calls into the facility during the work day.

Incoming personal calls to employees on duty are permitted only in cases of emergencies. Inter-unit social calls are prohibited. All facility phones are to be used for business reasons only.

Pay telephones are available throughout the facilities for personal calls. The use of the public phones by employees is restricted to break periods or with the permission of the Supervisor.

25. Confidential Information: Employees will have access to the history of veteran home residents and to confidential information regarding their personal lives. Such information must be scrupulously respected. It will not be discussed or passed on to unauthorized persons either in or out of the facilities.

26. Filing Claims for Loss of Personal Property: Personal property, required by employees in the performance of their official duties, which is destroyed or damaged in line of duty, and not resulting from personal negligence of the employee, shall be repaired or replaced at the expense of the facility, subject to the approval of the Attorney General.

Claims for personal property shall be filed in accordance with the following procedure:

All claims for damage or loss of personal property incurred in the line of duty shall be filed upon the proper form which may be obtained at the Personnel Office.

It is important that the names of all witnesses to the incident be included in the claim report.

Any employee intending to file a claim for such loss shall file with his/her immediate supervisor at the end of the tour of duty during which such loss occurs. A claim must have a full and complete statement of the manner in which the incident happened, the name of the veteran home resident involved, if any, and all of the articles of personal property alleged to be damaged and the extent to such damage. Additionally, the immediate supervisor shall examine the articles so alleged to be damaged with notation as to the nature and extent of the damage on the reverse side of the claim report and a statement as to whether the incident occurred in the line of duty.

It must be borne in mind that articles of personal property depreciate in value after a period of ownership. Insurance companies recognize this in settling claims for losses based upon average life of the article involved. Accordingly, it is important to indicate the date of purchase of the article, the place of purchase and the full cost to the claimant.

The percentage of obsolescence or depreciation will be determined by the Deputy Attorney General assigned to handle these matters.

No claim will be recognized for loss of personal jewelry or a watch unless it clearly appears that the employee is obliged to ware a watch in order to carry out the duties assigned to him/her.

If the article has been repaired, it is necessary that the original invoice for the repairs be attached to the claim.

27. Working Test Period: Upon being placed into a permanent Department of Personnel Position, employees are required to serve a working test period or probationary period for four (4) months duration. During this period, employees will receive two forms entitled "Report on Progress of Probationer." The first will be issued to the employee upon completion of their second month of employment, and their second report will be issued to them upon completion of their third month of employment. If their working test period is evaluated as being unsatisfactory in both reports, they may be terminated at the end of the fourth month of their employment.

This action is referred to as "release at the end of working test period." If for some reason their supervisor feels that he/she has not had an adequate opportunity to evaluate their performance of duty or should there be any other valid reason, such as extended illness, their probationary period may be extended to six (6) months. If this should happened, the employee will be notified.

28. Medical Treatment Service: Medical attention, including treatment by our medical staff, is offered to employees when injury or illness arises out of their employment. Authorization for outside medical attention or services of any kind, must first be approved through the Medical Director or payments will not be allowed.

When medical service or attention, as indicated above, is refused by an employee, they must sign a certificate to that effect. The facility is released from any obligation for payment of any medical, hospital or other cost not authorized by the Medical Director.

29. Violation of Rules, Regulations or Policies: Violations of the rules, regulations, policies or procedures contained within the NJ Veterans Memorial Home Facilities and the Divisional Policy and Procedure Manuals may subject employees to appropriate administrative action. To include:

 

a. Official Reprimand - placed in employee's personnel file. b. Suspensions or fines under the statutes of Department of Personnel Regulations covering state employment. c. Termination from state service under Department of Personnel Regulations. d. Referral to appropriate authority where violations may involve law enforcement agencies.

30. Always remember, success depends on a cooperative effort which requires employees to be flexible and cooperative.

PERSONNEL  - 43-03-002

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