Da Clinchy Code

Ten people working for the Health Ministry have been forced to admit having an office relationship to avoid disciplinary action under the "kiss and tell" clause of their work contracts.

The ministry's code of conduct demands that workers declare "any personal relationships at work that may impact on the ministry", including romantic relationships, close friends and perhaps former partners.

Workers are required to write any possible conflict of interest on a declaration form - including any office fling at a Christmas party between management and junior staff, or an official living with an opposition MP. Five personal relationships have been formally declared since the policy was introduced in 2002.

Any declaration would be the worker's choice, but an employee could be fired if they failed to tell their general manager about a relationship that had the potential to impact the office.

The Health Ministry clause had raised questions of whether human rights had been breached, but Debbie Chin, deputy director-general, said there were no records of any employees complaining about the clause. Few workers had filled in the form each year.