Unacceptable Behavior Policy

We are here to serve the public and we believe that everyone has the right to be heard, understood and respected.

Our staff also have the right to work in a safe environment, free from abuse or harm caused by others.

We understand that people can become upset and/or angry when their matter is not being dealt with as they might wish. But aggressive or abusive behaviour is unacceptable.

Unacceptable behaviour includes language or actions that may cause staff to feel afraid, threatened or abused. Some examples include threats, verbal abuse, derogatory or insulting remarks, rudeness, profanity and yelling. It may also include excessive calls, emails or other communications.

When someone behaves in a way that is unacceptable, we may decide to:

• Tell them that we consider their actions offensive, unnecessary and unhelpful and ask them to stop;
• Tell them to leave, or end the call;
• Call building security, City Hall security and/or the police (this will always be the case if physical violence is used or threatened);
• Impose an alternative service arrangement, to ensure we can serve that person fairly while protecting our staff from abuse and harm; and/or
• Take any other action that the Ombudsman considers appropriate in the circumstances.