Code of Conduct for Acceptable Workplace Behaviour
Velvet Edge Inc., doing business as Velvet Edge Entertainment
2137 Dougall Ave., Windsor, Ontario N8X 1S5
https://velvetedge.ca
Policy Number: VE-POL-002
Effective Date: July 1, 2026
Version: 1.0
Approved By: Joe Jelasic, President
Review Cycle: Reviewed at least annually and whenever operations change materially.
1. Purpose
Velvet Edge Inc. (the "Company") produces events, brand activations, and live entertainment, and rents and operates audio-visual and event equipment, for clients and for its own publicly ticketed events. Our workers perform in public, in close contact with clients and guests, often at night and often where alcohol is served. Our reputation, our bookings, and the safety of our workers and guests all depend on consistently professional behaviour. This Code of Conduct (the "Code") sets out the standards of behaviour the Company requires of every worker, in every workplace, at all times while working or representing the Company.
2. Application and Scope
This Code applies to every person who performs work for or supplies services to the Company, including employees (full-time and part-time), independent contractors and their personnel (including all performers, musicians, dancers, actors, aerialists, ground acrobats, prop manipulators, jugglers and juggling instructors, costumed characters, and audio-visual and technical personnel), volunteers, interns, and students on placements (collectively, "workers"), as well as the Company's officers and directors. Compliance with this Code is a condition of employment for employees and a contractual condition of engagement for contractors and performers.
This Code applies at the Company's premises, at all client events and venues, at the Company's own events, during rehearsals, fittings, site visits, load-ins and load-outs, deliveries, and work-related travel, at work-related social functions, and in all electronic and online conduct connected to the Company or its clients.
3. Core Standards of Behaviour
Every worker must:
- treat every co-worker, performer, client, guest, vendor, and venue staff member with courtesy, dignity, and respect;
- comply with all applicable laws, including the Occupational Health and Safety Act (Ontario), the Ontario Human Rights Code, the Liquor Licence and Control Act, 2019 (Ontario), the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, 2017, the Cannabis Act (Canada), the Cannabis Control Act, 2017 (Ontario), and the Criminal Code (Canada), and with all venue rules and licensing conditions applicable to an event;
- comply with the Company's Workplace Harassment and Violence Policy (VE-POL-001) and Policy Against Discrimination (VE-POL-003); nothing in this Code reduces those obligations;
- follow all safety instructions, including those relating to rigging, aerial equipment, lifts, staging, pyrotechnic or special effects, electrical equipment, and vehicle operation, and immediately report unsafe conditions, near misses, and injuries to the on-site Company contact and the Director of Operations and Logistics;
- perform only work and acts they are trained, competent, and (where applicable) certified and insured to perform, and never modify an act, stunt, or rig in a way that has not been approved and rehearsed;
- arrive fit for work, on time, and prepared, with costumes, instruments, props, and equipment in proper condition;
- be honest in all dealings with the Company, its clients, and its guests, including in timekeeping, invoicing, and expense claims.
4. Alcohol, Cannabis, and Impairment
- Workers must not be impaired by alcohol, cannabis, or any other drug while performing work of any kind. This applies without exception to safety-sensitive work, including aerial performance, acrobatics, spotting and basing, rigging, work at heights, operation of lifts or vehicles, and electrical work.
- Workers must not consume alcohol or cannabis during a shift or engagement, including during breaks, and including at events where a client or the Company hosts an open bar. Complimentary drinks offered by clients or guests must be politely declined while working. If a client engagement expressly contemplates a toast or similar ceremonial participation, the on-site Company contact must approve it in advance and consumption must be nominal.
- Workers taking prescription or over-the-counter medication, or authorized medical cannabis, that could impair alertness, balance, coordination, or judgment must disclose the potential impairment (not the diagnosis or the medication) to the Director of Operations and Logistics before performing safety-sensitive work, so that duties can be adjusted. The Company will accommodate substance use disorders and medical needs in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code; disclosure made in good faith to seek help or accommodation will not, by itself, attract discipline.
- A worker who reports to work impaired, or becomes impaired at work, will be removed from the engagement immediately and safe transportation will be arranged; discipline will follow the process in this Code.
- Smoking and vaping are permitted only where lawful, only in designated areas, never in costume, and never in view of guests during an event.
5. Conduct with Clients, Guests, and Fellow Performers
- Workers interact with clients and guests as representatives of the Company and must remain professional, courteous, and in role (where performing) at all times in guest-facing areas.
- No guest or client is entitled to touch a performer, and no performer may initiate physical contact with a guest except contact that is a planned, non-intimate, and clearly consented part of an act or activity (for example, guiding a guest's hands during a juggling lesson). A worker may end any interaction that becomes uncomfortable or unsafe and must report it to the on-site Company contact.
- Physical contact between workers that is part of an act (spotting, basing, partnering, lifts, costume assistance) must be limited to what has been agreed and rehearsed, and consent to such contact may be withdrawn at any time. Costume changes and fittings must take place in designated private areas, and no worker may enter a changing area without a work-related reason and the occupants' consent.
- Workers must not photograph or record other workers, clients, or guests except as authorized for the engagement, and must never photograph or record anyone in changing or dressing areas. Where the Company or a client arranges event photography, performers will be told in advance.
- Romantic or sexual advances toward clients or their guests during an engagement are prohibited. Any relationship between a worker and a person who has authority over their bookings, castings, pay, or evaluation must be disclosed to the President so that decisions affecting that worker can be reassigned; no person may make or influence decisions about a worker with whom they have a romantic, sexual, family, or close personal relationship.
- Workers must not solicit guests or clients for personal benefit (including personal bookings, sales, donations, or followers) during an engagement, except as permitted under section 8.
6. Interacting with Children at Events
Performers and instructors (including costumed characters, jugglers, and juggling instructors) regularly interact with child guests at family-friendly events. The following rules protect both children and workers:
- a worker must never be alone with a child guest; interactions must occur in open view of the child's parent or guardian or in a public area of the event;
- instruction or activities involving children (for example, juggling lessons) must be conducted in open, visible spaces, with a parent, guardian, or responsible adult from the client or the Company present;
- physical contact with a child is limited to what is necessary, appropriate, and visible (for example, steadying a child's hands during a lesson, or a high-five or posed photo initiated with the parent's or guardian's assent);
- workers must not exchange personal contact information or social media contacts with child guests, must not arrange to meet a child outside the event, and must not photograph a child except through the event's authorized photography;
- any disclosure by a child, or any observation, that raises a concern about the safety of a child must be reported immediately to the on-site Company contact and the Director of Operations and Logistics. Every person in Ontario has a legal duty under the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017 to report a suspicion that a child is or may be in need of protection directly to a children's aid society; that personal duty cannot be delegated to the Company.
7. Confidentiality, Social Media, and Client and Company Property
- Workers will learn confidential information in the course of engagements, including client identities and guest lists, unannounced products and brand activations, event budgets and layouts, creative concepts and designs, and personal information about clients, guests, and other workers. Workers must keep such information confidential, use it only for the engagement, and comply with any non-disclosure agreement signed by the Company or by the worker, both during and after the engagement. Personal information must be handled in accordance with applicable privacy law, including the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (Canada) where it applies.
- Workers must not post about a client event (including photos, video, location tags, client names, or descriptions of the activation) unless and until the Company confirms that the client permits it. Posts about the Company's own public events are welcome, provided they are respectful, do not show guests in an unflattering or identifiable manner without their consent, do not show anyone in changing areas or in a state of undress, and do not disclose security arrangements.
- When posting in a personal capacity about the Company or its events, workers must not speak on the Company's behalf, must not disparage clients, guests, venues, or co-workers, and must make clear that views expressed are their own. Only the President and the Director of Operations and Logistics may make statements to media on the Company's behalf.
- Company equipment (sound, lighting, projection, photo booths, rigging, costumes, props, vehicles) and client and venue property must be handled with care, used only by authorized and trained workers, used only for authorized purposes, and returned in the condition received, fair wear and tear excepted. Damage, loss, theft, or malfunction must be reported immediately to the Director of Operations and Logistics; honest and prompt reporting of accidental damage will always be treated more favourably than concealment.
- Theft, unauthorized borrowing, or intentional damage of Company, client, venue, or guest property is gross misconduct and may be reported to police.
8. Conflicts of Interest, Gifts, and Tips
- A conflict of interest exists where a worker's personal interest could improperly influence, or appear to influence, their work for the Company. Workers must disclose actual or potential conflicts to the President in writing as soon as they arise.
- Workers must not use a Company engagement to divert business away from the Company. Soliciting a Company client, or a client's guests or personnel, for direct private bookings of services of the kind the Company offers, during or as a result of a Company engagement, is prohibited unless the President consents in writing. Independent contractors remain free to market their own acts and services generally and to accept work from any source obtained independently of Company engagements; this section restricts only the diversion of the Company's clients and engagement-derived leads.
- Workers may accept unsolicited gifts of nominal value (as a guideline, under $100) and customary hospitality. Gifts above nominal value, gifts of cash other than tips as described below, and any gift or favour offered in circumstances suggesting an expectation of improper advantage must be declined or, where declining is impractical, disclosed to the President, who will decide how it is handled.
- Tips and gratuities voluntarily offered by guests or clients for service may be accepted where the client and venue permit it and it is customary for the role. Workers must never solicit tips at a client engagement, must never suggest that service or performance depends on tipping, and must comply with any engagement-specific direction that tips be pooled or declined. Where tips are pooled, distribution will comply with the Employment Standards Act, 2000. Employers do not share in employee tip pools except as that Act permits.
- Workers must not accept payment, gifts, or favours from vendors, venues, or suppliers in exchange for influencing the Company's purchasing, rental, or booking decisions.
9. Appearance, Costumes, and Professional Presentation
- Workers must meet the appearance, costume, and grooming requirements agreed for the engagement. Costumes and appearance standards will be applied in a manner consistent with the Ontario Human Rights Code; the Company will accommodate requirements related to protected grounds, including creed-based dress, disability, and gender identity and gender expression, to the point of undue hardship, and no worker will be required to wear a costume that is sexualized beyond what was expressly agreed for the engagement.
- Costumed characters must follow character integrity rules: remain in character in guest view, remove masks and headpieces only in non-public areas, and follow the escort or handler arrangements set for the event.
10. Reporting Breaches
Workers who witness or experience a breach of this Code must report it to the on-site Company contact (for immediate event issues) and to Mike Dupuis, Director of Operations and Logistics ([email protected], 226.444.1449 ext. 104), or to Joe Jelasic, President ([email protected], 226.444.1449 ext. 101) where the report involves the Director. Reports are handled under the Workplace Complaint Procedure (VE-PRO-004). No one will be penalized for a good-faith report. Where a breach also involves harassment, violence, or discrimination, the protections and processes of VE-POL-001 and VE-POL-003 apply.
11. Discipline and Consequences
Breaches of this Code will attract corrective action proportionate to the seriousness of the conduct, the worker's history, and the circumstances. Corrective action may include coaching, additional training, a verbal or written warning, removal from an event, suspension of scheduling or bookings, termination of employment (with or without cause, as the law permits), or termination of a contract for services in accordance with its terms. Gross misconduct, including violence, sexual harassment, theft, working while impaired in a safety-sensitive role, endangering a child, or deliberate breach of confidentiality, may result in immediate termination for cause and, where applicable, a report to police or regulators. Nothing in this Code limits the Company's rights at common law or under contract.
12. Acknowledgment
Every worker will receive this Code before or at the start of their employment or engagement and will be asked to sign an acknowledgment that they have read, understood, and agree to comply with it. For contractors and performers, compliance with this Code is incorporated by reference into the contract for services.
13. Related Documents
- Workplace Harassment and Violence Policy (VE-POL-001)
- Policy Against Discrimination (VE-POL-003)
- Workplace Complaint Procedure (VE-PRO-004)
14. Approval
Approved and signed electronically on behalf of Velvet Edge Inc.
Joe Jelasic, President
Velvet Edge Inc. d.b.a. Velvet Edge Entertainment
Date: July 1, 2026
Revision History
| Version | Date | Description | Approved By |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | July 1, 2026 | Initial code issued. | Joe Jelasic, President |
Code of Conduct for Acceptable Workplace Behaviour
Velvet Edge Inc., doing business as Velvet Edge Entertainment
2137 Dougall Ave., Windsor, Ontario N8X 1S5
https://velvetedge.ca
Policy Number: VE-POL-002
Effective Date: July 1, 2026
Version: 1.0
Approved By: Joe Jelasic, President
Review Cycle: Reviewed at least annually and whenever operations change materially.
1. Purpose
Velvet Edge Inc. (the "Company") produces events, brand activations, and live entertainment, and rents and operates audio-visual and event equipment, for clients and for its own publicly ticketed events. Our workers perform in public, in close contact with clients and guests, often at night and often where alcohol is served. Our reputation, our bookings, and the safety of our workers and guests all depend on consistently professional behaviour. This Code of Conduct (the "Code") sets out the standards of behaviour the Company requires of every worker, in every workplace, at all times while working or representing the Company.
2. Application and Scope
This Code applies to every person who performs work for or supplies services to the Company, including employees (full-time and part-time), independent contractors and their personnel (including all performers, musicians, dancers, actors, aerialists, ground acrobats, prop manipulators, jugglers and juggling instructors, costumed characters, and audio-visual and technical personnel), volunteers, interns, and students on placements (collectively, "workers"), as well as the Company's officers and directors. Compliance with this Code is a condition of employment for employees and a contractual condition of engagement for contractors and performers.
This Code applies at the Company's premises, at all client events and venues, at the Company's own events, during rehearsals, fittings, site visits, load-ins and load-outs, deliveries, and work-related travel, at work-related social functions, and in all electronic and online conduct connected to the Company or its clients.
3. Core Standards of Behaviour
Every worker must:
- treat every co-worker, performer, client, guest, vendor, and venue staff member with courtesy, dignity, and respect;
- comply with all applicable laws, including the Occupational Health and Safety Act (Ontario), the Ontario Human Rights Code, the Liquor Licence and Control Act, 2019 (Ontario), the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, 2017, the Cannabis Act (Canada), the Cannabis Control Act, 2017 (Ontario), and the Criminal Code (Canada), and with all venue rules and licensing conditions applicable to an event;
- comply with the Company's Workplace Harassment and Violence Policy (VE-POL-001) and Policy Against Discrimination (VE-POL-003); nothing in this Code reduces those obligations;
- follow all safety instructions, including those relating to rigging, aerial equipment, lifts, staging, pyrotechnic or special effects, electrical equipment, and vehicle operation, and immediately report unsafe conditions, near misses, and injuries to the on-site Company contact and the Director of Operations and Logistics;
- perform only work and acts they are trained, competent, and (where applicable) certified and insured to perform, and never modify an act, stunt, or rig in a way that has not been approved and rehearsed;
- arrive fit for work, on time, and prepared, with costumes, instruments, props, and equipment in proper condition;
- be honest in all dealings with the Company, its clients, and its guests, including in timekeeping, invoicing, and expense claims.
4. Alcohol, Cannabis, and Impairment
- Workers must not be impaired by alcohol, cannabis, or any other drug while performing work of any kind. This applies without exception to safety-sensitive work, including aerial performance, acrobatics, spotting and basing, rigging, work at heights, operation of lifts or vehicles, and electrical work.
- Workers must not consume alcohol or cannabis during a shift or engagement, including during breaks, and including at events where a client or the Company hosts an open bar. Complimentary drinks offered by clients or guests must be politely declined while working. If a client engagement expressly contemplates a toast or similar ceremonial participation, the on-site Company contact must approve it in advance and consumption must be nominal.
- Workers taking prescription or over-the-counter medication, or authorized medical cannabis, that could impair alertness, balance, coordination, or judgment must disclose the potential impairment (not the diagnosis or the medication) to the Director of Operations and Logistics before performing safety-sensitive work, so that duties can be adjusted. The Company will accommodate substance use disorders and medical needs in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code; disclosure made in good faith to seek help or accommodation will not, by itself, attract discipline.
- A worker who reports to work impaired, or becomes impaired at work, will be removed from the engagement immediately and safe transportation will be arranged; discipline will follow the process in this Code.
- Smoking and vaping are permitted only where lawful, only in designated areas, never in costume, and never in view of guests during an event.
5. Conduct with Clients, Guests, and Fellow Performers
- Workers interact with clients and guests as representatives of the Company and must remain professional, courteous, and in role (where performing) at all times in guest-facing areas.
- No guest or client is entitled to touch a performer, and no performer may initiate physical contact with a guest except contact that is a planned, non-intimate, and clearly consented part of an act or activity (for example, guiding a guest's hands during a juggling lesson). A worker may end any interaction that becomes uncomfortable or unsafe and must report it to the on-site Company contact.
- Physical contact between workers that is part of an act (spotting, basing, partnering, lifts, costume assistance) must be limited to what has been agreed and rehearsed, and consent to such contact may be withdrawn at any time. Costume changes and fittings must take place in designated private areas, and no worker may enter a changing area without a work-related reason and the occupants' consent.
- Workers must not photograph or record other workers, clients, or guests except as authorized for the engagement, and must never photograph or record anyone in changing or dressing areas. Where the Company or a client arranges event photography, performers will be told in advance.
- Romantic or sexual advances toward clients or their guests during an engagement are prohibited. Any relationship between a worker and a person who has authority over their bookings, castings, pay, or evaluation must be disclosed to the President so that decisions affecting that worker can be reassigned; no person may make or influence decisions about a worker with whom they have a romantic, sexual, family, or close personal relationship.
- Workers must not solicit guests or clients for personal benefit (including personal bookings, sales, donations, or followers) during an engagement, except as permitted under section 8.
6. Interacting with Children at Events
Performers and instructors (including costumed characters, jugglers, and juggling instructors) regularly interact with child guests at family-friendly events. The following rules protect both children and workers:
- a worker must never be alone with a child guest; interactions must occur in open view of the child's parent or guardian or in a public area of the event;
- instruction or activities involving children (for example, juggling lessons) must be conducted in open, visible spaces, with a parent, guardian, or responsible adult from the client or the Company present;
- physical contact with a child is limited to what is necessary, appropriate, and visible (for example, steadying a child's hands during a lesson, or a high-five or posed photo initiated with the parent's or guardian's assent);
- workers must not exchange personal contact information or social media contacts with child guests, must not arrange to meet a child outside the event, and must not photograph a child except through the event's authorized photography;
- any disclosure by a child, or any observation, that raises a concern about the safety of a child must be reported immediately to the on-site Company contact and the Director of Operations and Logistics. Every person in Ontario has a legal duty under the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017 to report a suspicion that a child is or may be in need of protection directly to a children's aid society; that personal duty cannot be delegated to the Company.
7. Confidentiality, Social Media, and Client and Company Property
- Workers will learn confidential information in the course of engagements, including client identities and guest lists, unannounced products and brand activations, event budgets and layouts, creative concepts and designs, and personal information about clients, guests, and other workers. Workers must keep such information confidential, use it only for the engagement, and comply with any non-disclosure agreement signed by the Company or by the worker, both during and after the engagement. Personal information must be handled in accordance with applicable privacy law, including the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (Canada) where it applies.
- Workers must not post about a client event (including photos, video, location tags, client names, or descriptions of the activation) unless and until the Company confirms that the client permits it. Posts about the Company's own public events are welcome, provided they are respectful, do not show guests in an unflattering or identifiable manner without their consent, do not show anyone in changing areas or in a state of undress, and do not disclose security arrangements.
- When posting in a personal capacity about the Company or its events, workers must not speak on the Company's behalf, must not disparage clients, guests, venues, or co-workers, and must make clear that views expressed are their own. Only the President and the Director of Operations and Logistics may make statements to media on the Company's behalf.
- Company equipment (sound, lighting, projection, photo booths, rigging, costumes, props, vehicles) and client and venue property must be handled with care, used only by authorized and trained workers, used only for authorized purposes, and returned in the condition received, fair wear and tear excepted. Damage, loss, theft, or malfunction must be reported immediately to the Director of Operations and Logistics; honest and prompt reporting of accidental damage will always be treated more favourably than concealment.
- Theft, unauthorized borrowing, or intentional damage of Company, client, venue, or guest property is gross misconduct and may be reported to police.
8. Conflicts of Interest, Gifts, and Tips
- A conflict of interest exists where a worker's personal interest could improperly influence, or appear to influence, their work for the Company. Workers must disclose actual or potential conflicts to the President in writing as soon as they arise.
- Workers must not use a Company engagement to divert business away from the Company. Soliciting a Company client, or a client's guests or personnel, for direct private bookings of services of the kind the Company offers, during or as a result of a Company engagement, is prohibited unless the President consents in writing. Independent contractors remain free to market their own acts and services generally and to accept work from any source obtained independently of Company engagements; this section restricts only the diversion of the Company's clients and engagement-derived leads.
- Workers may accept unsolicited gifts of nominal value (as a guideline, under $100) and customary hospitality. Gifts above nominal value, gifts of cash other than tips as described below, and any gift or favour offered in circumstances suggesting an expectation of improper advantage must be declined or, where declining is impractical, disclosed to the President, who will decide how it is handled.
- Tips and gratuities voluntarily offered by guests or clients for service may be accepted where the client and venue permit it and it is customary for the role. Workers must never solicit tips at a client engagement, must never suggest that service or performance depends on tipping, and must comply with any engagement-specific direction that tips be pooled or declined. Where tips are pooled, distribution will comply with the Employment Standards Act, 2000. Employers do not share in employee tip pools except as that Act permits.
- Workers must not accept payment, gifts, or favours from vendors, venues, or suppliers in exchange for influencing the Company's purchasing, rental, or booking decisions.
9. Appearance, Costumes, and Professional Presentation
- Workers must meet the appearance, costume, and grooming requirements agreed for the engagement. Costumes and appearance standards will be applied in a manner consistent with the Ontario Human Rights Code; the Company will accommodate requirements related to protected grounds, including creed-based dress, disability, and gender identity and gender expression, to the point of undue hardship, and no worker will be required to wear a costume that is sexualized beyond what was expressly agreed for the engagement.
- Costumed characters must follow character integrity rules: remain in character in guest view, remove masks and headpieces only in non-public areas, and follow the escort or handler arrangements set for the event.
10. Reporting Breaches
Workers who witness or experience a breach of this Code must report it to the on-site Company contact (for immediate event issues) and to Mike Dupuis, Director of Operations and Logistics ([email protected], 226.444.1449 ext. 104), or to Joe Jelasic, President ([email protected], 226.444.1449 ext. 101) where the report involves the Director. Reports are handled under the Workplace Complaint Procedure (VE-PRO-004). No one will be penalized for a good-faith report. Where a breach also involves harassment, violence, or discrimination, the protections and processes of VE-POL-001 and VE-POL-003 apply.
11. Discipline and Consequences
Breaches of this Code will attract corrective action proportionate to the seriousness of the conduct, the worker's history, and the circumstances. Corrective action may include coaching, additional training, a verbal or written warning, removal from an event, suspension of scheduling or bookings, termination of employment (with or without cause, as the law permits), or termination of a contract for services in accordance with its terms. Gross misconduct, including violence, sexual harassment, theft, working while impaired in a safety-sensitive role, endangering a child, or deliberate breach of confidentiality, may result in immediate termination for cause and, where applicable, a report to police or regulators. Nothing in this Code limits the Company's rights at common law or under contract.
12. Acknowledgment
Every worker will receive this Code before or at the start of their employment or engagement and will be asked to sign an acknowledgment that they have read, understood, and agree to comply with it. For contractors and performers, compliance with this Code is incorporated by reference into the contract for services.
13. Related Documents
- Workplace Harassment and Violence Policy (VE-POL-001)
- Policy Against Discrimination (VE-POL-003)
- Workplace Complaint Procedure (VE-PRO-004)
14. Approval
Approved and signed electronically on behalf of Velvet Edge Inc.
Joe Jelasic, President
Velvet Edge Inc. d.b.a. Velvet Edge Entertainment
Date: July 1, 2026
Revision History
| Version | Date | Description | Approved By |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | July 1, 2026 | Initial code issued. | Joe Jelasic, President |