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Short+Sweet Code of Conduct

General Information

Short+Sweet (S+S) presents festivals across Australia and is almost entirely reliant on volunteer participation and management.  These range from its writers, directors, choreographers, performers, stage crew, front-of-house personnel and office interns.  These voluntary participants and helpers work closely with permanent or contracted staff employed to facilitate the festival. As it is this established network and philosophy of community theatre that has allowed Short+Sweet to grow into the festival it is today, we are committed to ensuring a positive experience for all people involved. Accordingly, it is vital that everyone involved in a S+S festival understand their rights and responsibilities in dealing with each other, formally and informally, as part of the extended S+S community. 

The purpose of this Code of Conduct is

  • To ensure that staff and volunteers understand their rights and responsibilities in their participation in Short+Sweet festivals.
  • To ensure all volunteers and staff act honestly, courteously and openly in their roles and exercise a reasonable degree of care and diligence in expressing views about S+S matters;
  • To provide a practical means of identifying and resolving situations which       involve conflict of interest or improper use of their role; and
  • To ensure all participants, employees and associates of Short+Sweet act in a way that enforces and enhances public confidence in Short+Sweet’s mission and work. 

Responsibilities of a Participant/Volunteer

A volunteer must:

  • Accept, within reason, the directions of the appropriate team leader (Festival Director, Technical Manager, Stage Manager or designated staff member).
  • Carry out agreed voluntary duties in an ethical and responsible manner.
  • Act honestly and with a reasonable degree of care and diligence in carrying out volunteering duties.
  • Not act contrary to the law and consider the interests of S+S when carrying out volunteer activities.
  • Not act unreasonably, unjustly, oppressively or in a discriminatory manner towards others. Treat members of the public, staff and other volunteers fairly, equitably and with respect, courtesy, compassion and sensitivity.
  • Not act in a manner that would cause unwarranted offence or embarrassment, or give rise to the reasonable suspicion or appearance of improper conduct.
  • To use S+S‘s resources, and those of any venue in which S+S activities are taking place, effectively and economically and not for private use unless authorised to do so.
  • Comply with his/her obligations in relation to confidentiality.

Breach of the Code

All occasions of a volunteer not complying with this code should be immediately reported to the appropriate team leader, or the Operations Manager or Executive Director of Short+Sweet. Depending upon the nature of what has occurred, the breach may result in a requirement to apologise to the person or group concerned; dismissal as a volunteer; prosecution of any breach of the law. If a volunteer knows or has good reason to suspect any fraud, corrupt, criminal or unethical conduct, he/she must report it immediately to their appropriate team leader.

Confidentiality

While volunteering with Short+Sweet a volunteer may gain access to information of a confidential nature. Confidential information includes information, which is either oral or written; and of a personal, commercial, operational, technical or financial type that is given to the volunteer in the course of time volunteering with Short+Sweet which is not publicly available.  Specifically, this includes, but is not limited to, information relating to personnel matters, contact details, customers, business affairs, accounts, plans, management, financing, designs, and processes.

Keeping that information confidential is an integral part of the volunteer’s responsibilities.  A volunteer must not disclose or use in any manner whatsoever the confidential information except of the benefit of Short+Sweet.

Short+Sweet’s Obligations

S+S will treat as confidential all personal information relating to volunteers. S+S will not divulge any employee’s or volunteer’s personal information to a third party unless authorised to do so. All S+S registrations received for whatever purpose will be maintained securely. 

Workplace Health and Safety (WHS)

S+S must ensure the health, safety and welfare of all persons (including volunteers) at their place of work including the identification, assessment and control of all workplace risks as required by law and regulation currently in force and having regarding to the due diligence required of all those operating within theatrical venues and any specific rules implied or imposed by those conditions.a

Equal Employment Opportunity and Harassment

Short+Sweet is committed to equal opportunity for all staff and volunteers alike.

Our aim is:

  • To ensure that there is no discrimination on the basis of race, sex, marital status, national or ethnic origin, disability, pregnancy, sexual preferences, age, transgender or carer’s responsibilities.
  • To develop and sustain a working environment free of harassment of any kind.
  • To become an organisation, which is more responsive to the employment, needs of minority groups within our community by the removal of the obstacles that may impede their success.
  • To ensure that staff and volunteers are considered for positions solely on the basis of merit, taking into account relevant qualifications, experience, skills and personal qualities that have been identified to perform the position at the standard required.
  • S+S regards harassment of any type, or other offensive behaviour as unacceptable.  Behaviour of this nature will not be tolerated and if substantiated may lead to the cessation of work with S+S.   There is a complaints procedure in place and any harassment complaints should be taken to the appropriate team leader or failing that to the General Manager of Short+Sweet. The objectives of the complaint procedures are to:
  • Provide ways that volunteers can confidently raise a complaint and have it effectively handled
  • Provide an opportunity for volunteers/employees to be made aware of their unacceptable behaviour and to take corrective action
  • To prevent the behaviour from re-occurring while respecting the rights of both the complainant and the alleged harasser.