1. General Provisions
1.1. The Code of Ethics of the State Labor Inspectorate (hereinafter referred to as SLI) establishes the principles and rules of conduct for SLI officials and employees (hereinafter referred to as officials) that must be followed by SLI officials in the performance of their duties, as well as at other times.
1.2. The SLI Code of Ethics is binding on every SLI official and employee.
1.3. The purpose of the SLI Code of Ethics is to establish and reinforce professional ethical standards to improve the institution's work culture and increase public trust in the SLI.
1.4. The task of the Code of Ethics is to promote the lawful and conscientious work of SLI officials in the public interest; it is designed to ensure that each SLI official adheres to the fundamental principles of conduct, recognizing that the actions of each individual SLI official contribute to the overall image of the SLI in society.
1.4. In their activities, SLI officials comply with the fundamental principles set out in the Code of Ethics, and in situations not mentioned in this code, they act in accordance with generally accepted norms of conduct and common sense.
1.5. By adhering to the Code of Ethics, SLI officials have the right to public and managerial recognition and moral support. The SLI management supports and defends an official who has suffered harm while performing their duties.
2. SLI Ethics Principles
2.1. Independence and Neutrality
2.1.1. SLI officials, in the performance of their duties, are independent. Their actions and decisions comply with the Constitution of the Republic of Latvia, the State Labor Inspectorate Act, the State Civil Service Act, the Law "On Prevention of Conflict of Interest in the Activities of Public Officials," the Administrative Procedure Law, the Law "On Procedures for Examining Applications, Complaints and Proposals in State and Municipal Institutions," SLI regulations, the Code of Ethics, as well as the official's job description and other relevant legal sources.
2.1.2. The professional activities and decision-making of SLI officials are not influenced by their affiliation with political and social organizations.
2.1.3. In performing their duties, SLI officials promote public trust in the SLI and refrain from actions that could affect decision-making and diminish the authority and significance of SLI’s activities. Observing neutrality as an ethical position is a prerequisite for shaping the SLI’s overall image in society.
2.1.4. SLI officials serve the public welfare with respect, care, politeness, and a sense of responsibility, recognizing that public interests should be placed above individual interests.
2.2. Objectivity and Accuracy
2.2.1. SLI officials perform their duties and make decisions objectively and substantively, ensuring equality before the law and not showing favoritism or privileges to any person.
2.2.2. All decisions made by SLI officials are based on objectively and accurately verified information, grounded in precise and unequivocal facts and evidence.
2.2.3. In the examination of issues, the use of demagogic statements and behaviors that hinder the constructive resolution of issues is excluded.
2.3. Openness and Loyalty
2.3.1. SLI officials are professionally open to colleagues and the public in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Latvia and SLI’s internal regulations, while observing established confidentiality and respecting privacy.
2.3.2. In business contacts with the public and media representatives, SLI officials always disclose their identity and the institution they represent.
2.3.3. In their public statements, SLI officials are loyal to SLI and its goals, collegial relations, and corporate culture requirements, clearly stating whether they express their personal opinion or that of SLI, especially in internal conflicts not related to the public interest and resolvable in the course of business.
2.3.4. SLI officials in their activities are loyal to SLI’s core values and goals.
2.3.5. Concealing or supporting illegal actions is not permissible.
2.4. Fairness and Integrity
2.4.1. SLI officials perform their duties fairly, ensuring equality before the law and not showing favoritism or unwarranted privileges to any person.
2.4.2. Fairness is a standard of mutual relations for all SLI officials, regardless of position – both subordinates and superiors. The evaluation is based on actions and their consequences, not on personality or intentions.
2.4.3. Observing the principle of fairness is a prerequisite for balancing the private interests of SLI clients with public interests.
2.4.4. Fair treatment in interactions is a mandatory component of professional etiquette.
2.4.5. SLI officials perform their duties with integrity and do not use their office or official position for personal gain for themselves or others.
2.4.6. SLI officials should be self-critical, able to recognize and correct their mistakes and apologize for unethical behavior. Exploiting the lack of knowledge or mistakes of colleagues or others maliciously is not permissible.
2.5. Equality and Proportionality
2.5.1. SLI officials, in performing their direct duties, express equality before the law towards everyone, not showing special favor to anyone and not allowing any privileges and exceptions unless legally provided for in regulatory acts.
2.5.2. In the performance of duties, SLI officials do not show unequal treatment based on gender, race, color, age, disability, religious, political or other beliefs, national or social origin, property or family status, sexual orientation, or other circumstances.
2.5.3. To ensure the effectiveness of SLI's activities, duties and responsibilities are distributed proportionally.
2.5.4. The principle of proportionality in SLI is ensured by observing distributive justice: both positive and negative evaluations correspond to the actual performance of each official.
2.5.5. The responsibility of SLI officials is individual and appropriate to the specific offense. When assessing the degree of responsibility, the employee’s competence and position are taken into account.
2.6. Professionalism
2.6.1. SLI officials perform their duties professionally, with a sense of responsibility, precisely and honestly, using best practices and experience.
2.6.2. Every SLI official has a high level of legal awareness and acts professionally, solely in accordance with regulatory acts and general legal principles.
2.6.3. Professionalism is associated with the chosen profession and its characteristic tasks, reflecting the acquired knowledge and established skills related to that profession.
2.6.4. Every SLI official should continuously expand and deepen their professional knowledge, acquiring the necessary skills and abilities to perform their duties properly and competently.
2.6.5. SLI officials cooperate with other colleagues, providing or receiving the necessary assistance to perform tasks.
2.7. Confidentiality
2.7.1. SLI officials observe confidentiality regarding information obtained while performing their duties.
2.7.2. Information that becomes known to SLI officials in the course of their duties is prohibited from being used for personal gain for themselves or others.
3. SLI Personnel Conduct Rules
3.1. Duties
3.1.1. All SLI personnel have the duty to:
3.1.1.1. Adhere to generally accepted behavioral norms both during and outside of work hours.
3.1.1.2. Observe professional etiquette and respect SLI's work culture.
3.1.1.3. Avoid conflicts within and outside the SLI.
3.1.1.4. Maintain collegial relationships.
3.1.1.5. Handle SLI property with care.
3.1.1.6. Ensure that service information is used solely for service needs.
3.1.1.7. Not exploit collegial subordinate and superior relationships, colleagues' incompetence, mistakes, or lack of experience for personal gain.
3.1.1.8. Honestly acknowledge unethical behavior or incorrect polemics and correct their mistakes.
3.1.1.9. Inform colleagues about professionally relevant issues and share experiences that might be useful to other SLI personnel.
3.1.1.10. Promote justified public trust in the SLI through appropriate behavior, appearance, and demeanor suitable for an official work environment.
3.1.1.11. Not use work time or subordinate-superior relationships to solve personal life problems.
3.1.1.12. Recognize that the behavior and actions of each individual SLI personnel member contribute to the overall image of the SLI in society.
3.1.1.13. Avoid creating doubts about their independence and neutrality, and avoid giving the public a false impression of personal interest or lobbying for others' interests in decision-making.
3.1.1.14. Be loyal to the SLI in interactions with the public, especially with media representatives.
3.1.1.15. Be personally responsible for the effective and constructive conduct of SLI meetings and other official events.
3.1.1.16. Follow the SLI's set work schedule, understanding that punctuality shows respect and attention to colleagues.
3.1.1.17. Be attentive listeners and speakers, carefully considering their statements, and avoid using words, gestures, or hints that are inappropriate for a professional setting or could offend others.
3.1.1.18. Engage in discussions with mutual respect, openness, understanding, and collegiality, considering others' viewpoints without personally offending or insulting anyone.
3.1.1.19. Avoid offending the honor and dignity of colleagues and other persons, regardless of their position or other circumstances mentioned in section 2.5.2 of this code.
3.1.1.20. Allow other
SLI personnel to fully express themselves (not interrupting the speaker, remaining silent while another colleague is expressing or arguing their viewpoint; not using mobile phones during meetings), listen to arguments supporting different viewpoints, understand and consider what is being said, and only then oppose if necessary.
3.1.1.21. Demonstrate a responsible and positive attitude towards the final result by actively participating in the preparation and discussion of decisions.
3.1.1.22. Promote publicity and establish professional contacts with representatives of various sectors, fields, and institutions to gain broader information about public interests and inform about SLI work.
3.1.1.23. Avoid situations that could lead to conflicts of interest or create favorable conditions for corruption.
3.1.1.24. Avoid situations that create a morally ambiguous or contradictory impression, do not conform to generally accepted behavioral norms, and thus harm the status, prestige, reputation, or overall image of the SLI.
3.1.1.25. Promote a responsible attitude towards direct work duties through their personal behavior.
3.1.1.26. Ensure the involvement of new SLI personnel in the work team by sharing their professional knowledge, experience, and practices.
3.1.1.27. Treat visitors and other persons with respect, politeness, and tolerance, respecting everyone's legal interests.
3.1.1.28. Publicly apologize for unethical behavior.
3.1.2. In particular, the SLI director and unit managers have the duty to:
3.1.2.1. Inform subordinates about future actions and development perspectives.
3.1.2.2. Ensure a professional work atmosphere in the units. The SLI director and unit managers are responsible for maintaining a professional work atmosphere throughout the SLI.
3.1.2.3. Promote the professional growth of SLI personnel.
3.1.2.4. Prevent intrigues, the formation of various groups, and favoritism within the collective.
3.1.2.5. Discuss personnel's erroneous actions with the respective employee individually.
3.1.2.6. Ensure that personnel receive public and material recognition for particularly successful performance of duties.
3.1.2.7. Support personnel's creative approach and initiative.
3.2 Rights
SLI personnel have the right to:
3.2.1. Receive ethical and respectful treatment from other SLI personnel and other persons, which does not offend their honor and dignity.
3.2.2. Freely express and defend their personal opinion in decision-making processes, according to professional competence and position, if they firmly believe in it and it complies with the normative acts of the Republic of Latvia, democratic state principles, and common sense.
3.2.3. Refuse to follow an order from the SLI director or unit manager if it is blatantly illegal or expressed in a manner that offends the personnel's dignity, honor, self-respect, or discriminates against them based on gender or other circumstances mentioned in section 2.5.2 of this code.
3.2.4. Receive an adequate evaluation of their work and respectful treatment from the SLI director or unit manager.
3.2.5. Privacy in their personal life.
3.2.6. Report to a higher authority and the SLI Ethics Commission if a direct supervisor demands actions that are illegal or unethical, could negatively impact the institution's administrative operations, or otherwise do not comply with these basic principles.
3.2.7. Receive an apology and, according to the law, receive compensation for moral harm caused by an offense to their honor and dignity from any person.
4. SLI Personnel Conduct Rules for Preventing Conflicts of Interest
4.1. Each SLI personnel must be informed about the requirements of regulatory acts, particularly the law "On Prevention of Conflict of Interest in Activities of Public Officials," as well as the identification of conflicts of interest and the risk areas where such conflicts may arise while performing their direct duties.
4.2. SLI personnel must refrain from performing duties related to their own, their relatives’, friends’, acquaintances’, or business partners’ personal or financial interests. SLI personnel must immediately inform their direct supervisor about such refusal.
4.3. Any decision-making in a conflict of interest situation is not permissible.
4.4. SLI personnel may engage in secondary employment only with the permission of the SLI director, and such secondary employment must not create a conflict of interest. SLI personnel shall not engage in commercial activities that could lead to a conflict between private and SLI interests.
4.5. SLI personnel shall refuse to accept gifts in any situation related to their direct duties, as well as invitations to events if there is suspicion of a possible conflict of interest or lowering of SLI’s prestige.
4.6. Gifts from SLI cooperation partners and official guests of the SLI are considered SLI property.
4.7. SLI personnel shall use SLI property as economically and rationally as possible, preventing its selfish use by others. SLI personnel shall not use the internet, phone communications, transport, or other resources for purposes unrelated to the performance of their work duties.
5. Final Provisions
5.1. The SLI Code of Ethics enters into force once approved by the SLI director.
5.2. Every SLI personnel member is morally responsible for adhering to the provisions of this code.
5.3. Violations of the SLI Code of Ethics are reviewed, and decisions are made by the SLI Ethics Commission, which is established by the SLI director’s order. The composition, functions, rights, and duties of the commission are regulated by the SLI Ethics Commission regulations, which are approved by the SLI director.
5.4. For violations of the rules mentioned in the SLI Code of Ethics, personnel may be held accountable under:
- Disciplinary responsibility in accordance with the Cabinet of Ministers regulations "On Disciplinary Penalties for Civil Servants."
- Civil liability in accordance with the Civil Law.
- Administrative responsibility in accordance with the Latvian Administrative Violations Code.
- Criminal liability in accordance with the Criminal Law.
5.5. SLI personnel are not held accountable for refusing to perform duties related to illegal or unethical behavior.