Town of Taos, NM EMPLOYEE CONDUCT

Employees are expected at all times to conduct themselves in a positive manner in order to promote the best interests of the town and to maintain high standards of cooperation, efficiency and integrity in their work performance. Employees shall deal with the public and all town employees with courtesy, diligence, and promptness. Supervisors and department directors are responsible for providing leadership and mentoring that creates an opportunity for employees to achieve professional standards of performance and conduct and, at the same time, holding employees accountable for their actions. Appropriate town employee conduct and behavior expectations includes but is not limited to the following areas:

Employees are expected to perform job duties, responsibilities and assigned tasks in accordance with management expectations, established quality standards, and in a manner that reflects the highest ethical and professional standards. Employees shall carry out direct and appropriate work instructions/assignments from their supervisor/department director and shall comply with these rules and regulations;

Create a harmonious work environment for co-workers, supervisors/management, and the public by maintaining a positive, cooperative and helpful attitude; be willing to get along with others and communicate respectfully with each other. Each employee has a role and responsibility to support a productive and healthy workplace;

Support teamwork and workplace behavior that fosters collaboration, customer service, and working for the good of the department and the town. Be receptive to constructive feedback; be open to input from your co-workers, supervisors/ department directors, town administration and the public;

Cooperating fully and in a timely manner with town investigations and providing truthful information in all statements and testimony; refraining from fraud, falsification, deceit, theft or departing from the truth;

Promote cooperation and collaboration by following the chain of supervision, policies and procedures in attempting to resolve any workplace issues or problems;

Reporting to management any suspicious, threatening, or potentially violent, unsafe, illegal, immoral or unethical behavior or conduct by co-workers, customers, contractors, or suppliers;

Reporting to work as scheduled, ready for work and not unfit, hung-over, fatigued or impaired due to the use of alcohol or other controlled substances;

Comply with all town, state and federal safety rules, policies, procedures, and regulations; wear the proper safety attire and equipment and notify supervisor(s) immediately when replacements are needed or equipment is missing;

No unauthorized or personal use of town vehicles or equipment. Never allow unauthorized passengers in town vehicles/equipment or while operating a town vehicle. Authorized passengers shall be determined by the town manager;

Never falsifying or altering any town records or reports, such as time and attendance sheets, employment applications, personnel records, travel and expense reports, other organizational records;

Refraining from behavior or conduct that is offensive or undesirable, or which is contrary to the town, your department or the public’s best interest;

Refrain from engaging in malicious and disorderly conduct, force, threats of use of force, theft, misappropriation, destruction of public or private equipment, tools, vehicles or property, abuse or waste of public and/or private property, engaging in actions that create the appearance of impropriety, use of obscene language and other inappropriate conduct while engaged in the performance of their job, while representing the town, while wearing a town uniform or driving a town vehicle or where such conduct reflects adversely on the image of the town. Town uniforms and clothing with town logos should only be used while officially on-duty or on-call;

Never refusing to follow management’s lawful instructions and direction concerning a job-related matter or being insubordinate; refrain from creating or contributing to an unproductive work environment through encouraging bad morale, undermining supervisors or the chain of command;

Employees shall hold any confidential information or communication derived through their town employment in the strictest confidence and shall not share, reveal or use such, unless it is subject to public disclosure, necessary to conduct town business, or to prevent death or serious bodily harm/injury. Disclosure should be through approved town channels and policies, such as IPRA or the town public information office;

Reporting the loss of a driver’s license or other required license or certification within two (2) work days; report criminal charges and/or conviction of criminal charges or motor vehicle accidents impacting driver safety status with the town in writing to the HR department within two (2) work days;

Never steal, destroy, deface, damage, or misuse town property, equipment, vehicles or another employee’s property;

Never using profanity, offensive or obscene language; never fighting, gambling, sleeping on the job, encouraging a fight, participate in playing pranks or engaging in horseplay or other behavior or conduct unbecoming a town employee;

Never engaging in harassment, discrimination, or retaliation.

(Ordinance 18-01 adopted 2018)