Local authority employees are required to adhere to the rules set out in the Ethics in Public Office Acts 1995 and 2001, the Local Government Act 2001 and the Code of Conduct for Local Authority Employees. These frameworks place obligations on local authority employees to maintain proper standards of integrity in the performance of their duties.

Under Part 15 of the Local Government Act, the Standards Commission has the authority to examine certain complaints about local authority employees under the Acts and the Code of Conduct. 

However, all local avenues should be exhausted before a complaint is referred to the Standards Commission.  If a person considers that a member of a local authority may have breached their obligations under the Acts or the Code, they should bring their complaint to the attention of the local authority ethics registrar in the first instance. 

If a person is not satisfied with the outcome of any examination by the ethics registrar, the complaint may be referred to the Standards Commission.

Code of conduct for local authority employees