Examples of serious misconduct include:

  • breaching the PAA or the entity’s establishing legislation
  • acting improperly in an official capacity breaching a directive
  • making improper use of their position for personal gain
  • making improper use of information acquired by him or her by virtue of his or her position to gain personally or for anyone else financial or other benefits or to cause detriment to the public sector (section 22 of the PAA).

For serious misconduct, no notice period, counselling or warning is required. In considering whether to terminate an employment contract, an employer must have regard to the public sector values in section 7 of the PAA, the public sector employment principles in section 8 of the PAA and the standards issued by VPSC.