APS Code of Conduct

The Code of Conduct requires that an APS employee must:

• behave honestly and with integrity in connection with APS employment;
• act with care and diligence in connection with APS employment;
• when acting in connection with APS employment, treat everyone with respect and courtesy, and without harassment;
• when acting in connection with APS employment, comply with all applicable Australian laws;
• comply with any lawful and reasonable direction given by someone in the employee's Agency who has authority to give the direction;
• maintain appropriate confidentiality about dealings that the employee has with any Minister or Minister's member of staff;
• take reasonable steps to avoid any conflict of interest (real or apparent) and disclose details of any material personal interest of the employee in connection with the employee's APS employment;
• use Commonwealth resources in a proper manner and for a proper purpose;
• not provide false or misleading information in response to a request for information that is made for official purposes in connection with the employee's APS employment;
• not improperly use inside information or the employee's duties, status, power or authority:
  1. to gain, or seek to gain, a benefit or an advantage for the employee or any other person; or
  2. to cause, or to seek to cause, detriment to the employee's Agency, the Commonwealth or any other person. 
• at all times behave in a way that upholds the APS Values and Employment Principles, and the integrity and good reputation of the employee's Agency and the APS;
• while on duty overseas, at all times behave in a way that upholds the good reputation of Australia; and
• comply with any other conduct requirement that is prescribed by the regulations (regulations available on the ComLaw website).

The Code of Conduct is set out in section 13 of the Public Service Act 1999.