Council calls out disrespectful behaviour to team members
Date published: 29 November 2023
Townsville City Council is taking a hard line on abuse to its team members with the launch of its new Respect to Staff campaign.
It follows reports of 63 incidents of occupational violence from members of the community to Council team members, with 39 of those resulting in injury.
Council CEO Prins Ralston said it isn’t good enough and has called on the community to treat Council team members with respect.
“No one goes to work expecting to be abused and this is the case with Townsville City Council team members,” Dr Ralston said.
“Respectful and considerate conduct towards Council’s people is not only a fundamental aspect of a healthy workplace but also contributes to the overall well-being of the community.
“While most residents treat Council with respect, a small handful don’t.
“We have had incidents of our people being punched, chased down by a car, assaulted and verbally abused for just doing their job.
“We’ve launched this campaign to raise awareness that disrespectful behaviour will not be tolerated and inform the community about the correct ways to raise any issues they may have with someone from Council.
“Complaint forms are available on our website where you can either mail it directly to the CEO or email to a Council Service Representative.
“Alternatively, you can also call Council on 13 48 10 and speak with a representative.
“All complaints will be answered within five days of receiving them.”
Mayor Jenny Hill said it was disheartening to hear about instances of Council’s team members being treated disrespectfully or abused.
“We want to remind the community Council’s team members are there to help them and they deserve to be treated with respect and courtesy.
“No one comes to work to be abused or assaulted and our people deserve to feel safe when coming to work to serve the community,” Cr Hill said.
Visit our Complaints page to find out more about how to address an issue.
