Heightened Expectations for Ethical Behavior in Municipalities: Human Resource and Civility Training for Elected Officials

Abstract

Municipal managers and employees often work closely with elected officials due to the smaller nature of their organizations, and they may be subject to abusive behavior in the workplace. However, they have no legal recourse for such abusive behavior unless that behavior also violates federal or state law. Most municipal elected officials in the United States are not required to go through any human resource training or workplace civility training. Since local elected officials may have little understanding of government operations and human resources, it often leaves managers and employees especially vulnerable. Local elected officials should be required to complete training related to human resources, and municipalities should adopt civility codes that apply to the behavior of elected officials as well as that of employees and managers. This is especially important in local government because municipal employees are less insulated from elected officials than federal or state employees. The public sector should strive for a higher ethical standard to protect its employees by requiring robust human resource and civility training for all elected officials at the local level.

Keywords:

• Civility training
• elected officials
• human resource training
• local government

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1 For example, Pennsylvania’s law broadly grants to municipalities and/or governing boards “all powers necessary or convenient for the carrying out of the purposes set forth in this section”, which includes the power “to appoint officers, agents, employees and servants, and to prescribe their duties and to fix their compensation.” 53 PA. Cons. Stat. §5607(d) (2021).