{"id":4939,"date":"2017-08-02T08:30:57","date_gmt":"2017-08-02T15:30:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.knowledgecity.com\/?p=4939"},"modified":"2024-05-22T13:39:15","modified_gmt":"2024-05-22T20:39:15","slug":"organization-needs-code-conduct-heres","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.knowledgecity.com\/blog\/organization-needs-code-conduct-heres\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Organization needs a Code of Conduct\u2014Here\u2019s Why"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A code of conduct is an important tool in HR management. In fact, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ethicsmanagement.info\/content\/Business%20codes%20Fortune%20200.pdf\">86 percent of Fortune<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ethicsmanagement.info\/content\/Business%20codes%20Fortune%20200.pdf\">Global 200 companies utilize a code of conduct<\/a>.\u00a0 But what is a code of conduct and why should your company create one if it doesn\u2019t exist already?<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-9528 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.knowledgecity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/14.jpg\" alt=\"Businesswoman presenting ideas on a whiteboard to colleagues during a team meeting, illustrating strategic planning and teamwork.\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1001\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.knowledgecity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/14.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.knowledgecity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/14-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.knowledgecity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/14-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.knowledgecity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/14-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.knowledgecity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/14-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Code of Conduct: A Road Map to Success<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>To put it simply, a code of conduct (sometimes referred to as a code of ethics) tells your employees how they are expected to behave. It articulates an organization\u2019s mission, as well as its values and principles.<\/p>\n<p>Your code of conduct should clearly outline what you believe as an organization and how each employee should treat each other. It should also detail how employees should interact with others, since they act as a representative of your business.<\/p>\n<p>Aside from meeting legal requirements, establishing a code of conduct also helps to create a company culture and improve an organization\u2019s reputation.<\/p>\n<p>There are several reasons that your business should have a code of conduct, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>It encourages ethical behavior within your company<\/li>\n<li>It makes your business a better place to work<\/li>\n<li>There can be a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.managementstudyguide.com\/importance-of-employee-code-of-conduct.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">long-term success for employees and the business<\/a><\/li>\n<li>It shows your <a href=\"http:\/\/www.workplaceethicsadvice.com\/2011\/10\/using-a-code-of-conduct-to-build-trust-in-the-workplace.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">company\u2019s vision and mission<\/a><\/li>\n<li>It shows customers and other companies <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whistleblowersecurity.com\/four-reasons-business-needs-code-ethics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">you have integrity<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>What\u2019s Included in a Code of Conduct<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Deciding <a href=\"https:\/\/www2.deloitte.com\/content\/dam\/Deloitte\/in\/Documents\/risk\/Board%20of%20Directors\/in-gc-suggested-guidelines-for-writing-a-code-of-conduct-noexp.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">what to include in a code of conduct<\/a> may vary depending on your business or industry, but there it&#8217;s important to address several common areas.\u00a0 Some of the most common elements are:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Integrity<\/strong>\u2014Integrity is how you expect your employees to react in any ethical situations, especially when it involves a customer.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Teamwork<\/strong>\u2014Including teamwork will let your employees know how they are expected to act and interact within a group.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Respect<\/strong>\u2014Everyone who interacts with your business deserves to be treated with respect.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Innovation<\/strong>\u2014You always want to be improving your product and\/or customer experience to grow your business.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Client focus<\/strong>\u2014Ensure your employees know how you expect your customers to be treated.<\/p>\n<p>You should also include items such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ethics.org\/resources\/free-toolkit\/code-construction\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a letter from leadership and a table of contents<\/a> at the beginning of the code of conduct. All of these are meant to give all employees, from the CEO to the new hire, a greater understanding of company values and expectations.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s important to be clear and concise when drafting your code of conduct. You want to make sure there\u2019s no confusion.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Updating Your Code of Conduct<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Many companies take a &#8220;set it and forget it&#8221; approach to their Codes of Conduct. However, with <a href=\"https:\/\/cdn2.hubspot.net\/hubfs\/476011\/healthicity\/Resources\/eGuides\/simple_guide_for_employee_code_of_conduct\/simple-quide-code-of-conduct.pdf?t=1506199818571\">consistent annual updates<\/a>, a Code of Conduct can help maintain a culture of high ethics and integrity in your company. Always remember to update your code of conduct as things change over time. It should grow along with your company.<\/p>\n<p>Before you begin to <a href=\"http:\/\/complianceandethics.org\/revising-companys-code-conduct-six-steps-will-help\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">update your code of conduct<\/a>, consider:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>When it was last updated<\/li>\n<li>Changes to company policies and\/or federal and state laws<\/li>\n<li>Whether the guidelines are still current<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You might also want to compare your code of conduct to other companies working in your industry. See what they have and then decided if you need an update.<\/p>\n<p>Once you do start revising your code of conduct, make sure you have a committee reviewing it and seek feedback from stakeholders.<\/p>\n<p>Want to know more? Check out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.knowledgecity.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">KnowledgeCity\u2019s<\/a> courses on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.knowledgecity.com\/en\/library\/BUS1124\/creating-a-code-of-conduct\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Creating a Code of Conduct<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.knowledgecity.com\/en\/library\/BUS1113\/business-ethics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Business Ethics<\/a> and learn how you can incorporate your company\u2019s values and vision into a strong code of conduct for ethical decision making.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A code of conduct is an important tool in HR management. In fact, 86 percent of Fortune Global 200 companies utilize a code of conduct.\u00a0 But&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":4940,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[4001],"tags":[272,273,276,50,275,274],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v17.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Your Organization needs a Code of Conduct\u2014Here\u2019s Why - KnowledgeCity<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A code of conduct is an important tool in HR management. 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