Our Culture
Want to know more about what it's like to work here? The philosophies and statements below describe what we are about.
Diversity Philosophy
We believe that diversity contributes to our performance, the services we provide, the communities in which we live and work, and the lives of our employees and customers.
By promoting an inclusive environment where everyone respects individuals and values the contributions of people of different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives, we can enrich and strengthen the quality of the products and services we deliver.
Non-discrimination Statement
No employee or applicant for employment shall suffer discrimination because of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, disability, political affiliation, or on the basis of actual or perceived gender as expressed through dress, appearance or behavior.
Code of Ethics
Principle 1 - We will treat all people with respect,
fairness, and courtesy.
Principle 2 - We will be honest and will neither solicit nor
accept anything of value that may influence or be perceived as influencing the
performance of official duties.
Principle 3 - We will be good stewards of the people’s
money, giving a full day’s work for a full day’s pay, and using city vehicles,
equipment, supplies or property only for city work and as authorized by city
policy.
Principle 4 - We will respect all of our elected
representatives and faithfully carry out their policies and we will conduct
ourselves as non-partisan professionals, keeping politics out of the workplace.
Principle 5 - We will protect and enhance the reputation of
the city of Charlotte and our co-workers by what we do and say.
The Code of Ethics provides the essential
expectations for us all. Additional guidance for employee conduct can be
found in other city policies, as well as departmental policies and general
orders.
Social Media
The Code of Ethics does not make a distinction
based on social media. The Code of Ethics should be followed whether
using social media, written documents, in physical behavior, spoken
interaction, or other behavior. The key factor is whether an employee’s
actions – whatever they may be – are consistent with the Code of Ethics and do
not impair the ability of the employee to do his/her work or hurt the city’s
reputation and its ability to perform city services.
One very important point to remember about
social media and other forms of electronic communication is that there is
really no such thing as private communication. Once a communication is
transmitted electronically to anyone, it can be made available to everyone in
an instant.
Like email, the extent of exposure on social
media can significantly increase the negative impact of an ethical
violation. City employees should use sound judgment in communicating
anything electronically that could be perceived as an embarrassment to oneself
or the city of Charlotte.
It is recognized that city employees have
First Amendment rights to engage in protected speech on matters of public
concern. However, those rights do not include speech that: impairs
discipline by superiors or harmony among co-workers; has a detrimental impact
on close working relationships where personal loyalty and confidence is
necessary; interferes with the city’s function or delivery/performance of city
services; or affects the ability of the employee to effectively perform his/her
job in the future.
Ethical Violations
The expectation is that we hold ourselves to
the highest ethical standards. This does not mean, however, that no one
will ever make a mistake.
There has been a misperception that any
violation of the social media policy will result in the dismissal of an
employee, a so-called “zero tolerance” policy. While it is the
expectation that employees will always conduct themselves consistent with the
Code of Ethics, actions taken when violations occur rest on work-related
factors such as:
Does the infraction affect the ability of the
employee to do his/her work?
Does the infraction affect the City’s
reputation and its ability to carry out its mission?
All violations of the Code of Ethics will be
evaluated individually, considering the severity of the violation, the context
within which the violation occurred, the impact on the ability of the employee
to do his/her work, and the impact on the city’s reputation and its ability to
effectively perform city services. Again, these are the standards that will be
used whether a violation involves social media or not.