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Tasmanian misconduct risks

We have identified misconduct risk areas for the Tasmanian public sector based on insight gained from engagement with public sector organisations, research, and dealing with complaints.

When you understand the risks, you’re in a better position to behave ethically or take appropriate action. Our misconduct prevention work is guided by five key risk areas.

Conflicts of interest

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This risk arises when there is a conflict between the performance of a public duty and a private or personal interest.

Having a conflict of interest is not necessarily wrong. In fact, having a conflict of interest is very common, especially in Tasmania. What is important is that conflicts of interest are properly managed when they occur.

Gifts and benefits

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Accepting gifts and benefits can lead to giving favours, influencing decisions, disadvantaging others, provision of confidential information or other unethical action.

This is a significant risk area and must be carefully managed. The safest and easiest policy is to decline any gifts or benefits, as recommended in our report on gifts and benefits in the Tasmanian State Service.

Use of information

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Public sector employees handle confidential information every day. Unethical behaviour can occur if you become complacent about your responsibilities or use work information to obtain benefit.

Use of power and authority

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Improper use of a position of authority can result in personal gain, such as misuse of government resources.

It can also involve pressuring others to behave improperly, for example by influencing recruitment, withholding information, or complying with unreasonable or unlawful requests.

Use of work resources

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This risk area covers all public sector resources, including materials and supplies, vehicles, equipment, phones and computers, corporate credit cards and employee time.

Misuse of resources for personal purposes, secondary employment or favours to others is a breach of public trust.

Key misconduct risk areas

We monitor several areas of significant misconduct risk. These include:

  • misuse of power and authority in recruitment processes
  • secondary employment policies and practices
  • induction of senior executives into the public sector
  • unauthorised employee access to client information
  • misuse of work credit cards
  • misuse of work fuel cards
  • resumé and recruitment fraud

This page was last updated on 07 Sep 2022.