PARTICIPANT CODE OF CONDUCT

Values and principles

Our work is underpinned by our values sustainability, synergy, equality, and transformation, and guided by the principles of honesty, fairness, and trust. This Code of Conduct embodies our values and principles as well as setting out our expectations. We ask all participants to adopt and adhere to the Code of Conduct and our team will do the same. 

The Code of Conduct applies to participation in all events, workshops, training sessions, forums, discussion groups, meetings and other activities whether they take place in physical or virtual spaces where we believe that participants should feel safe, respected, and accepted and be able to enjoy an environment free from harassment, discrimination, and mistreatment of any kind.

Participants are expected to:

  • Ensure their own behaviour supports the full participation of everyone present.
  • Be respectful of other participants, the Syli team, and any other people sharing the space.
  • Understand that enthusiastic and challenging conversations can be an acceptable part of the process and that disagreements can happen from time to time, whilst at the same time ensuring their own conduct is professional and considerate.
  • Take care to discuss and challenge ideas, not the individuals sharing them.
  • Be supportive and constructive when offering feedback.
  • Identify when they are sharing other people’s materials by crediting the owner/creator.
  • Be sensitive to how other people are feeling, notice when others feel uncomfortable, and be respectful of other people’s boundaries.
  • Behave in a law-abiding manner and avoid encouraging or condoning unlawful or harmful activity.
  • Act in an environmentally responsible manner in keeping with the principles of Syli’s Environmental Policy.

The following are not acceptable:

  • Discrimination based on gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion, age, disability, physical appearance, or any other characteristic.
  • Offensive, inflammatory, aggressive, sexual, and otherwise unwelcome comment, discussion, written material, or graphic material, including when disguised as humour.
  • Failing to address an individual using the name or pronouns they identify with.
  • Unwelcome sexual, physical, and personal attention.
  • Sexual harassment, abuse, or exploitation.
  • Monitoring, recording, and tracking any individual without consent.
  • Threats and acts of violence, intimidation, retaliation, retribution, silencing, and incitement.
  • Disclosing aspects of an individual’s identity without their content, including ‘outing’ them.
  • Failing to maintain confidentiality of information shared privately or with restrictions, including personal information and commercially sensitive information.
  • Using participation time or resources for publicity or promotion of any kind of product or service.

If you notice what you assess to be a dangerous situation or someone in distress, alert the emergency services as soon as possible.

How to contact us if the Code of Conduct is being violated

  • In person – speak directly to the Syli team member if you are on site with them
  • Email us

All reports will be passed to the Executive Directors. You can report anonymously but please be aware this may limit our ability to follow-up and resolve the issue.

How you can expect us to respond

  • Confirm: we may need additional information from you about what happened
  • Contain: we will identify and implement necessary immediate actions to stabilise the situation and ensure the safety of those involved.
  • Assess: We may need more information, including from other people who are involved. We will do this discreetly and confidentially ensuring we only share information on a need to know basis. We will assess the nature of the incident, the threat level involved, and the impact on those affected and start to identify actions needed to remedy the situation going forwards.
  • Report: If we identify criminal activity may have taken place, we will report this to the appropriate authority and cooperate with their investigation. This will take precedence over any internal action in order to ensure we don’t jeopardise the criminal investigation. We may also need to report to other third parties such as our insurance company.
  • Evaluate: We will evaluate our handling of the situation, as well as reviewing our Code of Conduct to identify improvements. We may refer to trusted external advisors to help us, in which case we will only share information that is strictly necessary to ensure their involvement is meaningful.

Confidentiality of reporting

The identity of the individual reporting a Code of Conduct violation will not be made public without their explicit consent. Information will be shared within the Syli team on a need to know basis. All documents relating to the report will be stored confidentially.

Exemptions

In some instances there may be a genuine reason to include some reference to, representation of, or conversation about topics that would usually be considered a violation of the Code of Conduct. For example, it may be necessary for the full and balanced exploration of the subject at hand. Any such occurrences will be respectful and presenters/participants should give a warning of the inclusion of this content so that others have the opportunity to choose not to participate before it is presented or discussed, without any fear of reprisals.