Apr 2001 Volume 82 Number 4 "serving the protectors"
by Trevor Haskell PASA Vice President

New “C” words

As I read my Code of Conduct booklet recently, the letter C within SAPOL drew my attention. Command, control, communication, and consultation are words with which many SAPOL policies are littered. With the new Police Act came the Code of Conduct.

It may be that some of the membership have not taken the time to thoroughly read of the Code of Conduct booklet. They should not only read this booklet, but also more of the papers that regularly flowed from Focus 21, and now flow from special projects teams.

These policies are critical to how you, the worker at any level, is expected to behave. They form a framework of policies around how we conduct ourselves in the workplace. In this group of policies, I include:

• The Leadership Charter.
• Consultation Policy (OHS&W manual).
• Equity and Diversity manual and associated handouts.
• The HR Strategic Plan and all HR policies.
• EB agreement.
• The Code of Conduct.

By reading these policies, one can ensure one’s behaviour fits SAPOL needs. But it goes further.

How does SAPOL meet your needs? How does your manager or supervisor apply those policies to you? Clearly, it is your entitlement to be treated with “respect, courtesy and equitable treatment that is free from oppression or harassment” (page 9 Code of Conduct booklet). Those good managers and supervisors around SAPOL will have no difficulty in this – they have such expectations of themselves.

But how senior management then deals with it becomes interesting. I have not read one word in all the Performance Outcome Reviews that attempted to rate any HR criteria. Rarely a mention about workers compensation claims, the number of OHS&W defaults or committee meetings held. Nothing about the multitude of SAPOL policies that exist to guide us toward competent HR practice.

Those who run the POR have ignored HR practice. What of work areas with known supervisor bullies? You know the ones that have cost SAPOL thousands of dollars by their bullying style – one that may have created any number of workers’ compensation claims. What of the structures that have eroded the skills and energies of the members by lack of staffing and resources, or time to do a quality investigation or report?

SAPOL has provided the tools to the membership for the creation of a better working environment. I suspect some managers hope you do not read the policies – this will enable them to continue to practice less-than-acceptable behaviour with impunity.

Take the time to get the documents. Read them. Know your rights. Know your responsibilities. Together, workers and managers can work toward achieving another couple of C-words – collaboration and co-operation. Working together can provide a better working environment.

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