Our Code of Conduct Courses

A code of conduct is a set of rules around behaviour for the employees to follow within an organisation. The code acts as a standard that staff need to meet so that they can know what is expected of them to produce a generally more efficient business.

Often mixed up with a code of ethics, the code of conduct refers specifically to behaviour, whilst the ethics provides guidance on the decision-making skills that your employees need when they are working.

Why is a code of conduct important?

A code of conduct serves not only as a set of internal guidelines for the employees to follow, but also as an external statement of corporate values and commitments.

A code of conduct can:

• Define the company culture
• Set standards and expectations for employees to follow when it comes to their behaviour
• Let customers and partners know your values, and from there they can work out if they want to work with you – creating a level of transparency for a healthy business relationship

A well-written code of conduct clarifies an organisation’s values and principles, linking them with standards of professional conduct when it comes to the behaviour of the employees. As a result, codes of conduct set the benchmarks for companies to live up to.

Additionally, a code can support employees in general decision making by giving them a structure to follow when it comes to company behaviour, allowing them to be prepared to handle ethical dilemmas in the workplace.

Having a code of conduct can give employees a structure to follow from the moment they join the company, reducing the chances of problems coming up, but also making the process of dealing with issues a lot easier should the worst occur. There should be no ambiguity when it comes to a code of conduct, because as soon as lines are blurred, rules can be broken.

As well as setting rules to follow, the code of conduct can let employees know what they need to do if they ever need to report a violation of company policy and lets them know the consequences of using false information.

Employees have a greater understanding of the business rules by having a code of conduct to follow, making life a bit easier for all parties involved. It improves the working situation for staff and promotes your business values too, attracting customers in the process.

What should be included in a code of conduct?

Every code of conduct has to reflect the business it represents. This is because it reflects the daily operations of the company, their core values and the general company culture. This need for it to be tailored to the business means that there isn’t one set code of conduct that every company can use. However, there are certain characteristics that all companies should include:

• Written for the reader: It’s easy to understand and includes an explanation of any technical/legal jargon.
• Comprehensive: It covers all areas that impact the daily lives of employees and answers any questions that they may have.
• Supported by leadership: It has the backing of the senior management team. You can usually show this by including a foreword from the CEO or President.
• Accessible: It is available to all employees and investors.

The code sums up what you should and shouldn’t be doing at work. This could include explaining to employees that they shouldn’t:

• Take shortcuts to get the job done quicker, as they could cause adverse side-effects as a result
• Discriminate against people within the business. This could be due to their race, gender, social class or religion and is known as workplace discrimination
• Use business resources for personal use

There isn’t someone breathing down your neck telling you to have a code of conduct, but there are definite benefits of having a concrete set of rules in place. Larger businesses typically have them to create consistency and stability within their bigger groups of employees, but small companies tend to go about their business without a formal code in place.

Having a code of conduct in place creates a good practice for several reasons:

• It helps define the company culture quickly
• It sets standards and expectations for employees to follow when it comes to their behaviour
• It lets customers and partners know your values, and from there they can work out if they want to work with you – creating a level of transparency for a healthy business relationship

The Need for a Code of Conduct

Employers might want to believe that their staff know what’s right and wrong, but by having a code of conduct you can spell out whether specific behaviour or action is acceptable or not, making everyone’s lives a bit easier. Having rules to follow gives employees a structure from day one, making the whole process much more black and white if trouble is caused. There should be no ambiguity about a policy because this can lead to rules being bent, contradicting the whole point of the code in the first place.

As well as setting out the rules, a code of conduct also explains what employees need to do if they ever need to report a violation of company policy, as well as showing staff what the consequences are of using false information in an attempt to conceal violation.

The code sums up what you should and shouldn’t be doing at work. This could include detailing the behaviour that must be prevented:

• Taking shortcuts in your work to get the job done quicker, which could lead to adverse side-effects
• Treating people disrespectfully due to their race, gender, social class or religion. This is known as workplace discrimination
• Using business resources for personal use, because if you were to “borrow” money for personal use without authorisation, you are essentially stealing from the company
• By having a set of rules for your business to follow, it makes everyone’s lives easier in the long term. Not only does it have a positive impact on the workforce, but your brand image is enhanced, bringing in more customers ready to bring you their business

How can a Code of Conduct Produce a Compliant Culture?

The majority of larger businesses already comply to having a code of conduct, but smaller companies tend to go about their day-to-day business without a formal code in place. It must be stressed that all businesses should be code of conduct compliant now though. Whatever your size or industry, a code of conduct is a must-have.

Having a code of conduct can give employees rules to follow from the moment they join the company, reducing the chances of problems occurring, and making the process of dealing with issues a lot easier when they crop up too.

As well as this, a code of conduct can let employees know what they need to do if they ever have to report a violation of company policies, again making everything a bit more straightforward for employees.

Employees have a greater understanding of the business rules by having a code of conduct to follow, and the rules you set can then impress customers too, giving them an insight into how you run your business. This all means that the working situation for staff is improved and your business values are promoted too, attracting customers in the process.

Our Code of Conduct Courses

Confidentiality refers to personal information that can’t be divulged to a third party without consent from the client. This sort of information is handled by financial institutions, hospitals, doctors, therapists, law firms, businesses, and religious authorities. This differs from privacy, which refers to the freedom from intrusion into someone’s personal information. While confidentiality is an ethical duty, privacy is rooted in common law.

When we say information is held in confidence, and therefore confidential, we expect that it will only be shared if authorization is given. Even then, we only ever think that it is shared with certain professionals.

The Need for Confidentiality

Any organisation that collects, analyses, or publishes confidential health and care information must follow the code of practice on confidential information. It clearly defines the steps that organisations must take to ensure that confidential information is handled correctly. The code helps organisations put the right structures in place so that staff follow the confidentiality rules. As a result, good practice guidance is available for those that are responsible for the handling of confidential information, such as board members.

The doctor-patient relationship establishes an implied code of confidentiality, since the doctor is in a position to help you by collecting and analysing private information. If a doctor were to ask a pharmacist to fill out a prescription for a patient, that wouldn’t be a breach of confidentiality, but if the doctor told your boss about your condition, that would constitute a breach of their ethical duty to keep your information private.

The Health and Social Care Information Centre Guide for Confidentiality 2013

Health and social care is the sector that confidentiality is at its most important due to the private nature of the service. This code of confidentiality shows workers what they should be doing and why. It covers five main rules:

1. Information about service users or patients should be treated with respect to maintain confidentiality.
2. Members of a care team should share confidential information when needed for the safe and effective care of an individual.
3. Information that is shared for the benefit of the community should be anonymised.
4. An individual’s right to object to the sharing of confidential information about them should be respected.
5. Organisations should put policies, procedures and systems in place to ensure that confidentiality rules are followed.

The guide was produced to make the rules clearer to professionals, making everything a bit easier when it comes to the subject of confidentiality and knowing what they can and cannot do. However, decisions around sharing confidential information aren’t always clean cut, and the guide takes this into account by enabling staff to use their professional judgement confidently, working in the best interest of the individual.

The Impact on You

The confidentiality guide is relevant to everyone. In England, more than a million people come into contact with the health and social care services, so the issue needs to be understood by everyone.

Unless patients understand how their information is being used and who sees it, they are remaining ignorant when they consent to treatment and care. The other side of the story means that the best standard of care cannot be provided if the staff members don’t understand who they must share information with and when this sharing is expected.

Everyone using the health and social care services in the UK expect that the information they hand over is treated with the strictest confidence. This promise of confidentiality has been a focus for centuries in medical practice. Patients need to feel they can off-load all their information without worrying about where it might end up; without this trust, there is only a certain level of care that can be given.

Individuals need teams of professionals, both in health and social care, that are responsible for the information on patients. This can be knowing when to share the information too, in order to provide a seamless, integrated service, getting the best result for the individual in question.

A code of conduct policy is something that an organisation has as a set of rules around behaviour for the members of that group to follow. The code articulates standards that the employees need to meet so that they can know what is expected of them to produce a more efficient business.

Despite the importance of a code of conduct, they work on a completely voluntary basis, seen as a sign of good company practice if you have a formal structure in place.

Larger businesses tend to already have a code in place to create consistency and stability with their employees, but small companies tend to go about their business without a formal code as they don’t feel it’s needed.

Some organisations still seem to approach their codes as something to make them look good, rather than having a deep-rooted impact on the business. What is clear is that many organisations are still failing to use the codes as a tool to inspire an ethical corporate culture.

Having a code of conduct policy in place is beneficial for several reasons within a business, whatever the size

• It sets standards and expectations for employees to follow when it comes to their behaviour
• It helps define the company culture quickly

It lets your customers and partners know your values, and from there they can work out if they want to work with you.

Why a Code of Conduct is Important

A well-written code of conduct clarifies an organisation’s values and principles, and links them with standards of professional conduct at the same time. As a result, codes of conduct become the standards that companies need to live up to.

Additionally, it helps employees in general decision-making, allowing them to be prepared to handle ethical dilemmas in the workplace when they come up. It can also serve as a valuable reference for potential customers and clients by letting them know your business values, creating a level of transparency for a healthy business relationship to flourish.

So as you can see, a code of conduct policy can benefit not only the employees within the business, but also improves your image as a brand, with both of these cases highlighting the positive impact it has on the company.

Every code of conduct has to reflect the business it represents, whether that means the daily operations of the company, their core values or the general company culture.

Setting the Right Example

1. 1. Ford

Ford’s code of conduct is clear, detailed and comprehensive. Each section is broken into two key components. The first is an overview of the relevant policy and the second is a summary of the requirements for employees under that policy. The code also mentions additional resources and documents that contain greater detail.

The organisation of Ford’s code of conduct policy makes it easy to read and understand. It covers a variety of topics that may impact employees, including the use of company assets, product quality and safety, intellectual property and international business practices.

1. 2. Microsoft

Microsoft’s standards of business conduct have been drafted around one central theme – trust. The company emphasizes the importance of this value to them, including in their work with customers, governments, fellow employees, investors and representatives. Their policy also offers a process to help employees make difficult decisions that reflect the values and standards of Microsoft’s.

Microsoft provides its employees with a visually appealing and easy-to-read document that is reflective of the organisation’s values. The company highlights that the responsibilities covered in the code of conduct apply to all employees of the company, whether that’s a senior executive or a summer intern.

1. 3. Facebook

Facebook’s code of conduct policy is published on the company’s investor relations website and available for download as a PDF, making it accessible to view. Plus, the code is simple, straightforward and easy to understand. It covers important topics including conflicts of interest, harassment, confidentiality and protection of user data.

Facebook also highlights that employees can report violations anonymously to their managers, HR or legal department so that they feel comfortable speaking out.

Despite what the title of this article implies, there actually isn’t any legislation surrounding the topic of codes of conduct within the business environment. Rather than there being rules that companies have to follow when it comes to having a code of conduct, it is a voluntary thing, but it is seen as a sign of good company practice if you have a formal structure in place.

Codes set out the expected standards of behaviour and practices for organisations across the public and private sectors, typically underpinning the organisations’ underlying values. Codes continue to have relevance and meaning for many businesses, but this isn’t always the case. This is highlighted by the fact that whilst the majority of larger businesses have a structure in place, smaller companies tend to avoid having a formal code of conduct. Some organisations still seem to approach their codes as a matter of compliance, using them to look good on the surface, rather than having a deep-rooted impact on the business. What is clear is that many organisations are still failing to use the codes as a tool to inspire an ethical corporate culture.

What You Need to Know

Purpose: A code of conduct regularly communicates the organisation’s particular culture and shared sense of purpose. A growing number of organisations use the code to reassess their rules-based policies with a more values-based approach to push for more ethical decision-making. Good practice includes a mixture of learning and decision-making tools to support good judgement in alignment with values.

Structure: The structure and content of the codes continue to evolve as they move towards identifying their corporate purpose and values.

Relevance: As codes change, so do their contents. An example of this is having a more proactive approach to human rights, data privacy, due diligence, and social media. There is a constant challenge that codes are facing when it comes to keeping up with the speed of change in today’s society.

Content: Despite the importance of stakeholder engagement and empowerment to add authority, codes still rely heavily on the language of command and control. Some industries can be seen to be slower than others to adopt good practice elements of code design. Organisations in these sectors should look further afield when benchmarking their codes of conduct for good practice.

The Importance of a Code of Conduct

A well-written code of conduct clarifies an organisation’s values and principles, linking them with standards of professional conduct when it comes to employee behaviour. As a result, codes of conduct become the standards that companies need to live up to.

Additionally, it helps employees in general decision-making by giving them a structure to follow when it comes to company behaviour, allowing them to be prepared to handle ethical dilemmas they may face in the workplace. It can also serve as a valuable reference for potential customers and clients by letting them know your business values, and this can lead to healthier business relationships.

As you can see, a code of conduct can not only benefit the employees within the business, but also improve your image as a brand, with both of these cases highlighting the positive impact it has on the company.

Every code of conduct has to reflect the business it represents, whether that means the daily operations of the company, the company’s core values, or the general company culture. This need for it to be tailored to the business means that there isn’t one set code of conduct that every company can use, but there are still ways you can make sure your code of conduct is very the best it can be. Make sure your code of conduct:

• Is easy to understand and explains any technical/legal jargon
• Covers all areas that impact the daily lives of employees and answers any questions that they may have
• Has the backing of the senior management team through a foreword from the CEO/President
• Is available to all employees and investors to view

Code of conduct means having a set of rules within a business dealing with the topic of staff behaviour. A code sets standards that employees need to meet so that they can know what is expected of them to produce an efficient business.

Every code of conduct is unique to the business it represents. This is because it reflects the daily operations of the company, their core values and the overall company culture. The need for it to work hand-in-hand with the business means that there isn’t one concrete code of conduct that every company can implement. However, there are certain things companies should be doing when writing a code of conduct:

• Write it for the reader by making sure it’s easy to understand; this could be achieved by explaining any technical jargon.
• Make sure it covers all areas that impact the daily lives of employees and answers any questions that they may have.
• Gain support from the senior management team by securing a foreword from the CEO or President.
• Make sure it is accessible to all employees and investors.

1. 1. Ford

Ford’s code of conduct is clear, detailed and comprehensive. Each section is broken down into two key components. The first is an overview of the relevant policies and the second is a summary of the requirements for employees under that policy. The code also mentions additional resources and documents that contain greater detail.

The organisation of Ford’s code of conduct makes it easy to read and understand. It covers a variety of topics that may impact employees, including the use of company assets, product quality and safety, intellectual property and international business practices.

1. 2. General Motors

The General Motors code of conduct is comprehensive yet easy to understand with simple language and explanation of jargon. The code specifies who it applies to, how it will be implemented, and the expectations set for employees. They use the term “we” throughout the code of conduct to ensure that all employees, including senior managers and directors, are held to the same standard.

The code of conduct also includes a decision-making model that employees can follow when facing ethical dilemmas. The company has also includes several short question and answer sections to explain how employees should act when they are in certain situations, making sure everyone knows what they’re doing

1. 3. Microsoft

Microsoft’s standards of business conduct have been drafted around one central theme: trust. The company emphasizes that trust is an important aspect of its operations, including with customers, governments, fellow employees, investors and representatives. The code of conduct also offers a process to help employees make difficult decisions that reflect Microsoft’s values and standards.

Microsoft provides its employees with a visually appealing and easy-to-read document that is reflective of the organisation’s values. The company highlights that the responsibilities covered in the code of conduct apply to all employees of the company, including directors, executives and members of the director’s board.

1. 4. Facebook

Facebook’s code of conduct is published on the company’s investor relations website and available for download as a PDF. The code is simple, straightforward and easy to understand. It covers important topics including conflicts of interest, harassment, confidentiality and protection of user data.

Facebook also highlights that employees can report violations anonymously to their managers, HR or legal department so that they feel comfortable in speaking out. The code of conduct also includes links to the company’s compliance policy.

1. 5. IKEA

IKEA’s supplier code of conduct is designed to maintain a set of standards for the company’s current and potential suppliers. Reflecting their trademark minimalist style, the code of conduct is concise, yet comprehensive. The document covers topics such as health and safety, wages and benefits, child labour and harassment. The code of conduct also explains jargon that could be misunderstood by employees.

They also provide references to link users to additional documents, such as UN conventions and other IKEA policies. By doing this, employees can gain a better understanding of the IKEA approach.