Fairfax County Code of Ethics

Fairfax County Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct-Volunteers Page 1

Code of Ethics

The Code of Ethics defines a foundation of behavior for all employees of Fairfax County. This

official guidance establishes an ethical framework for all employee actions and reflects the

purpose and values of Fairfax County government as outlined in the Fairfax County's

Framework for Excellence.

The revised code of ethics depicts six core principles of ethical behavior. The new code has

similar themes as the previous Code of Ethics in 1963. However, the format and language

have been updated to provide employees with a more positive and current perspective on

ethics. Its scope has been expanded to include all Fairfax County personnel, volunteers

and all elected and appointed officials.

Fairfax County Code of Ethics is intended to inspire a superior level of conduct, sensitivity

and sound judgment for all employees. (1) The code is intended to complement, not replace

all professional codes of ethics. Employees should be aware of and abide by their respective

professional values and requirements. All employees must perform their designated function

in a manner that reflects the highest standards of ethical behavior. All employees are

obligated to respect, honor and uphold the Constitution, laws and legal regulations, policies

and procedures of the United States, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the County of

Fairfax.

The code of ethics is supported by six core principles that form the ethical foundation of the

organization: Honesty, Public Service, Respect, Responsibility, Stewardship and Trust.

I. Honesty: Be truthful in all endeavors; be honest and forthright with each other and the

general public.

II. Public Service: Ensure all actions taken and decisions made are in the best interest of

the general public.

III. Respect: Treat all individuals with dignity; be fair and impartial; affirm the value of

diversity in the workplace and in Fairfax County; appreciate the uniqueness of each

individual; create a work environment that enables all individuals to perform to the best of

their abilities.

IV. Responsibility: Take responsibility for actions; work a full day; conduct all workplace

actions with impartiality and fairness; report concerns in the workplace, including violations

of laws, policies and procedures; seek clarification when in doubt; ensure that all decisions

are unbiased.

V. Stewardship: Exercise financial discipline with assets and resources; make accurate,

clear and timely disclosures to the public; maintain accurate and complete records;

demonstrate commitment to protecting entrusted resources.

VI. Trust: Build regard for one another through teamwork and open communication;

develop confidence with the public by fulfilling commitments and delivering on promises.

County of Fairfax, Virginia

To protect and enrich the quality of life for the people, neighborhoods and diverse communities of Fairfax County

Fairfax County Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct-Volunteers Page 2

Standards of Conduct

All employees and volunteers are expected to adhere to the following Standards of

Conduct. Violation of the Standards of Conduct is grounds for disciplinary action up to and

including dismissal. (1) For the purpose of this document, the term employees includes all

personnel, volunteers and all elected and appointed officials working on behalf of Fairfax

County.

Leave and Attendance

Employees are expected to:

 Comply with rules and regulations governing hours of work, absences, use of leave.

Employees are prohibited from:

 Failing to report to work as scheduled without proper notice to supervisor;

 Leaving work without permission;

 Arriving late for work on a consistent basis.

Personal Behavior and Conduct

Employees are expected to:

 Demonstrate professionalism and support the county's commitment to excellent

customer service at all times;

Exercise courtesy, respect and tact when dealing with fellow employees and

volunteers and the public regardless of age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin,

marital status, disability or sexual orientation or any other factor unrelated to the

impartial conduct of county business.

 Comply with a proper order of an authorized supervisor.

Employees and volunteers are prohibited from:

 Harassing fellow employees and volunteers, county vendors, or members of the

public on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, [sexual orientation], national origin,

age, marital status, disability, or any other characteristic now or hereafter protected

by federal, state or county law. This prohibition includes, but is not limited to, sexual

harassment;

 Engaging in rude or unprofessional behavior or disorderly conduct even if the

behavior is not expressly forbidden by regulation or law;

 Using racial, sexist or ethnic slurs or other language that disparages any person on

the basis of age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, marital status, disability or

sexual orientation;

 Being convicted of a crime that is committed on the job or a felony in Virginia of such

nature that the public or other employees and volunteers may be endangered if the

employee remains in his or her position or of such nature that reasonably

undermines the public trust in the employee's ability to perform his or her duties.

 Engaging in conduct on or off duty that violates federal or state law, county

ordinances or policies when the violation is related to the employee's activity as a

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county employee or to county business or when it undermines public trust in the

county or the employee's ability to perform his or her duties.

 Manufacturing, distributing, possessing, using or being under the influence of alcohol

or illegal drugs while at work or on county premises with the exception of attendance

at events where alcohol is permitted during off duty hours;

 Threatening, assaulting, intimidating, or harassing another employee or a member of

the public;

 Using obscene language toward fellow employees, supervisors, subordinates and/or

members of the public;

 Abusing supervisory authority through favoritism, harassment, discrimination or

mistreatment of employees.

Protection and Proper Use of County data, Property, Funds and Records

Employees are expected to:

 Use public property, resources, and funds in accordance with the established

procedures;

 Maintain confidentiality with regard to client or customer information in accordance

with state and federal law, county ordinance and county policy;

 Maintain employee confidentiality by preventing the disclosure of personal

information to any unauthorized party.

Employees are prohibited from:

 Using county data, facilities, equipment, property or employees for other than

officially approved activities, except as permitted under county policy or procedure;

 Engaging in any action prohibited by county information technology policy or

procedure;

 Carelessly or willfully causing destruction of county property;

 Knowingly falsifying or conspiring to falsify any county record or report whether

paper or electronic, (e.g., resume, time and attendance reports, workers'

compensation claims, travel and/or expense vouchers).

Driving

Employees are expected to:

 Operate all county vehicles in accordance with federal, state and local driving laws;

 Operate privately owned vehicles being used in the performance of county business

in accordance with state and local driving laws;

 Remain aware of status of operator's license and report any suspension or revocation

of driving privileges to their supervisor immediately if job duties require the

operation of a vehicle for county business.

Employees are prohibited from:

 Knowingly operating a vehicle on county business without a valid operator's license;

Fairfax County Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct-Volunteers Page 4

 Possessing, using, or being under the influence of alcohol, illegal drugs, or

prescription drugs that might adversely affect one's ability to drive, while driving a

county vehicle or while driving a personal vehicle on county business.

Safety

Employees are expected to:

 Promote safe and healthy working environment by complying with all appropriate

safety and health regulations;

 Promptly report safety and health hazards so that they can be corrected before

injuries result;

 Dress in appropriate attire, uniform or safety equipment as specified by the

standards and work rules for the agency and position;

 Immediately report workplace violence to your supervisor or appropriate authority.

Employees are prohibited from:

 Bringing a gun, knife or other weapon, either concealed or displayed, to work or onto

county premises, unless specifically authorized by the appointing authority to do so.

Outside Employment/Conflict of Interest

Employees are expected to:

 Disqualify themselves in any decision where a conflict of interest may be presumed

to exist;

 Obtain permission from their appointing authority prior to engaging in any private

business activity, employment or other activity outside of work that conflicts or

interferes with full discharge of their official duties or the work they perform as a

county employee.

Employees are prohibited from:

 Accepting anything of value for performing, or refraining from performing, an official

job-related act; or accepting anything of value in order to assist another person in

obtaining a county job, promotion, or contract;

 Using information obtained in connection with county employment in order to obtain

financial gain for the employee or others;

 Accepting anything that might tend to influence the manner of performance of

county employment or that might be intended to influence the manner in which a

county employee performs his or her job;

 Having a personal interest in any contract with the county;

 Participating in matters related to their employment in which the interests of the

county employee, or the interests of the county employee's family members or

business associates, might be affected.

(1) For the purpose of this document, the term employees includes all personnel, volunteers

and all elected and appointed officials working on behalf of Fairfax County.