General

300. The provisions governing disciplinary proceedings are to be found in the PSC (Constitution) Regulations 1990. Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments and other Officers responsible for instituting disciplinary proceedings should consult the Regulations whenever the question of disciplinary action arises, and if necessary, should seek advice from the office of the Secretary for the Public Service.

Office Hours

301. Office hours shall be prescribed from time to time by Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments with the consent of the Public Service Commission but the entire time of Public Officers is at the disposal of Government. It is at the discretion of Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments to require the attendance of all or any member of their staff for such additional period as they may from time to time consider necessary.

Attendance Register

302. (a) Unless exempted by name by Permanent Secretaries or Heads of Departments every Officer, except Heads and Deputy Heads of Departments, must :
(i) Sign an Attendance Register when arriving at work each day and indicate the time of arrival.
(ii) Sign the Register when leaving work and indicate the time of departure.
(iii) In the space provided give the reason for late arrival or early departure.

(b) (i) Office Supervisors are required to check and initial daily the Attendance Register under their control and to take appropriate advisory and disciplinary action in the case of persistent offenders and report accordingly in Officers' Annual Confidential Reports.
(ii) Any absence from duty occasioned by late arrival to or early departure from work except in respect of sickness shall be deducted from an Officer's salary if the accumulated absence in one month equals or exceeds one hour.

(c) (ii) In country districts the Senior Department Officer will be responsible to his Head of Department for keeping a local register as in (a) above.

(ii) If a Permanent Secretary or Head of Department is absent from the office other than on duty, he shall notify the Secretary for the Public Service and his Permanent Secretary respectively.

Register of Absences

303. (a) In every Section/Division/Department/Ministry there shall be kept a Register of Absences in which shall be recorded information regarding the absences of Officers from the office except in respect of absences on official duty. Every Officer, except Heads and Deputy Heads of Departments must:-

(i) Sign the Register of Absence when leaving the office and indicate the time of departure.
(ii) Sign the Register when returning to the office and indicate the time of return.
(iii) In the space provided give the reason for the absence.

(b) All unauthorized absences due to any reason except sickness must be deducted from the Officer' s salary, provided the accumulated absence in one month equals or exceeds one hour,
(c) In country districts the Senior Departmental Officer will be responsible to his Head of Department for keeping a local register as in (a) above.

(d) If a Permanent Secretary or Head of Department is absent from the office other than on duty, he shall notify the Secretary for Public Service and his Permanent Secretary respectively.

(e) If an Officer is absent from his office for any reason other than duty, he shall ensure that a message explaining his absence is sent immediately to his Superior.

Absence Without Leave

304. (a) (i) An Officer who is absent without leave renders himself liable to
disciplinary action.

(ii) If an Officer is absent from duty without leave or for any reason not
acceptable to the Commission and has not notified the Commission within seven days of the beginning of such absence of his intended date to return to duty and the reason for his absence, he shall be liable for termination of appointment under the provisions of Regulations 34(2) of the PSC (Constitution) Regulations 1990.

(b) Application for leave of absence must be made to the Secretary for the Public Service by Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments or to Permanent Secretary or Head of Department in the case of other Officers.

(c) An Officer who, having been granted leave, fails to return to duty at the proper time is liable to disciplinary action including termination under Regulation 34(2) of the PSC (Constitution) Regulations, 1990.

Posting and Residence

305. Subject to the provisions of Regulation 19 of the PSC (Constitution) Regulations, 1990 every Officer must accept the liability of discharging any duty which Government may think it desirable to employ him and of being stationed wherever his presence is considered necessary.

Outside Employment

306. (a) Officers are prohibited from engaging in any trade, or in commercial undertaking, without the prior permission of the Secretary for the Public Service.

(b) No Officer may render professional assistance either during or outside office hours to private persons or firms, except with the prior permission of the Secretary for the Public Service. Such permission will only be given in very exceptional circumstances and the amount of remuneration, if any, which the Officer is allowed to accept must be first approved by the Secretary for the Public Service.

Official Secrets Act

307. (a) It is an offence under the Official Secrets Act for any Officer to disclose, without(a)
authority, any official information whether confidential or not, acquired during the course of his duties.

(b) The provisions of the Official Secrets Act apply similarly to ex-civil servants so far as information is concerned which they obtained or to which they had access while employed by Government.

(c) The relevant extract from the Official Secrets Act is printed in a register kept all Departments/Ministries and Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments are responsible for ensuring that every Officer appointed to the Department/Ministry signs a declaration that he has read the extract.

308 Officers are forbidden to make representations to, or to attempt to influence directly or indirectly, Members of Parliament or members of any public body to bring their claims for promotion or increased emoluments to the notice of any Service Commissioner or otherwise to bring outside influences to hear in any matter connected with their status or official duties.

Articles, Interviews or Broadcasts

309. No Officer or employee shall, without the express permission of the Secretary for the Public Service whether on duty or leave of absence :-

(a) Act as the editor of any newspaper, magazine or periodical or take part directly or indirectly in the management thereof.

(b) Contribute to, whether anonymously or otherwise, or publish in any newspaper, magazine or periodical or cause to be published in any manner, anything which may reasonably be regarded as of a political or administrative nature.

(c) Speak in public or broadcast any matter which may reasonably be regarded as of a political or administrative nature.

(d) Allow himself to be interviewed or express any opinion for publication on any issue of an administrative or political nature or on matters affecting the admin- istration, defense or military resources of Fiji.

He may, however, publish in his own name, matters relating to subjects of general interest.

310. No Officer may take steps, without the prior approval in writing of the Secretary for the Public Service, to institute legal proceedings for libel or slander in connection with matters arising out of his official duties.

Pecuniary Embarrassment and Money Lending

311. (a) Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments are responsible for reporting to the Secretary for Public Service any case in which it appears that an Officer is suffering from serious pecuniary embarrassment.

(b) Permanent Secretaries and Heads of. Departments are responsible for reporting to the
Secretary for the Public Service any Officer who is involved in the money leaving at interest.

Investments or Outside Interests

312. (a) An Officer shall on appointment or during the course of his service, disclose to the Secretary for the Public Service in the prescribed form, particulars of any investment or share-holding which he may possess in any commercial undertak- ing, or any other direct or indirect interest in such undertaking. If the Secretary for the Public Service shall decide that by reason of the facts disclosed the Officer' s private affairs might be brought into real or apparent conflict with his public duties or in any way influence him in the discharge of his duties, the Officer shall to such extent as the Secretary for the Public Service may direct, divest himself of such investments or interests.

(b) No Officer shall directly or indirectly acquire investments or interests of the nature for the Public Service.

Mineral Discoveries

313. All Officers and employees must report to their Permanent Secretary or Head of Department any discovery of valuable minerals and are prohibited from deriving any benefit or taking any payment from any syndicate, company or individual as a reward for giving such information.

Subscriptions and Presents

314. Subscriptions may not be collected by an Officer from members of the Public Service on any pretext unless the prior permission of the Permanent Secretary or Head of Department has been obtained. The collection of subscriptions from subordinate Officers to defray the cost of testimonials and presentations to superior Officers will not be undertaken without the prier permission of the Permanent Secretary or Head of Department.

315. Presents from private individuals or groups of persons which cannot be refused without giving offence shall be handed over to the Permanent Secretaries or Heads of Departments, and a letter in appropriate terms shall be sent by the Permanent Secretary or Head of Department to the donor.

Gifts/Presentations by Public Officers to a Public Officer or a non-Public Officer

316. (a) Voluntary collections may be organized for presentation of a gift to an Officer leaving the Public Service on retirement or resignation. Similar collections may also be conducted within a Ministry for a retiring Cabinet Minister.

(b) Voluntary collections within a Ministry/Department are also permitted for presentation of a 'reguregu' to the family of a deceased Officer or on death of a close family member of a fellow Public Officer. Similar collections may also be organized by a Permanent Secretary or Head of Department at his discretion to provide some form of assistance/relief to a fellow Public Officer where such presentation is, in the opinion of the Permanent Secretary or Head of Department, warranted or desirable

Invitations

317. Officers are also invited by commercial firms to attend social functions which, in most cases, are held entirely for advertising purposes. Some of these invitations are addressed to the post held rather than by name. If it is felt that acceptance of such an invitation might be construed so as to lend color to an allegation, then the invitation should be refused.

Employment while on Leave

318. No Officer on leave shall undertake any paid employment without the prior permission of the Secretary for the Public Service.