Staff working for the City of Leuven have received a new code of conduct in their mailbox, containing a list of precise rules they must abide by from now on. Staff are no longer allowed to criticise city policy on social media and are advised not to kiss colleagues at work, not even on birthdays or at New Year. ‘We believe it’s important for colleagues to treat each other with respect,’ says alderman for human resources Bert Corneillie (socialist Vooruit).
A code of conduct that Leuven city officials have to abide by is in itself nothing special. But the latest edition, entitled ‘Kompas’, contains a remarkably extensive list of precise rules. ‘These are examples that have partly come from employees. They want to have a better idea of what the obligations of their office precisely entail,’ explains alderman Corneillie.
Not kissing colleagues at work is one piece of advice that is attracting considerable comment. The rule comes because not everyone is comfortable with the practice. The advice on kissing or rather not kissing affects the daily greetings in the morning, but equally what happens on birthdays and at New Year. ‘We notice that people are more likely to keep their distance since the pandemic and now also with the flu epidemic. This code of conduct should be seen as part of an effort to treat everybody respectfully.’
No criticism on Facebook
Criticising City of Leuven policy decisions is also frowned on: ‘That’s not that crazy. Other organisations too make similar arrangements. Criticism is better made internally. We are a large organisation of some 1,400 employees. Then you need clear guidelines', the alderman insists. ‘The examples we give are based on experience in our city over the past decades, but also on what happens at other local governments or private companies… This is a living tool, which we will adapt to the context and to employees’ questions.’
The code of conduct is based on Flemish local government law. ‘In our brochure, we are simply providing a refresher of the rules using concrete examples,’ Corneillie concludes.