Ethical Decision Making in Classification

January 19, 2021 - Defence Stories

Ethical decision making is everyone’s responsibility. In the Directive on Value and Ethics [DOC-41KB] for Classification issued by the Director, Civilian Classification and Organization (DCCO), there are a few key points that address DCCO staff, DND managers and civilian employees, including:

• As representatives of the employer, managers should work in collaboration with DCCO. If a manager disagrees with a classification decision, managers can refer to the impasses process in the Directive on Classification Disagreements and Impasses [DOC-94KB]. Managers must explain the classification decision to the employee and not advocate for the employee to grieve.
• No employee should request or support a classification action if they stand to gain an unfair advantage, such as a classification action that would impact their own position or the position of a relative or friend. In other words, it is unethical for an employee to drive their own reclassification.
• Public servants must demonstrate objectivity and impartiality in the exercise of their duties and in all spheres of decision-making at work, including in HR. This means they are prohibited from granting preferential treatment or advantages to family, friends or any other person or entity. This includes taking actions toward driving their own reclassification or the reclassification of subordinates with the intent to influence their own classification.

The values are a compass to guide DCCO and management in everything it does. If you have any questions related to ethical decision making, please contact E-Class.