What a code of ethics should include

Don’t miss this post if you want to know what a code of ethics should include. In addition to the company’s internal rules of behaviour and those that define its relationship with external agents, it is necessary to incorporate other elements that help to understand the company’s vision of the world and how to transform it. Follow these simple steps, and you will have a perfect document.

Aha, you have to write a code of ethics, but what is it? What should a code of ethics include? You see, there are as many types as there are companies, but all of them, all of them, incorporate:

1. The rules of behaviour that employees must comply with.
2. A guide for the company’s conduct in its relationship with the other actors involved in its activity.

In recent years, codes of ethics (or codes of conduct) have become increasingly extensive. They have evolved from a set of rules defining dress codes, relations with colleagues and good coexistence to incorporating rules relating to organisations’ impact on their environment. As a result, economic, social and environmental issues are high on companies’ agendas, which see these issues as essential to their reputation and legacy.

The importance of defining purpose, mission and vision

Let us explain these concepts:

Purpose. This specifies the purpose of an organisation and the values that make it up.

Mission. It marks the path towards the objective and points out the actions necessary to carry it out.

Vision. This is a company’s view of the world, what it should be and how the company will help transform it.

These concepts must be well defined, as they will mark the organisation’s position when faced with various situations. And it is not enough just to verbalise them; they need to be written down and integrated into day-to-day business, as they will serve as a compass.

What should the code of ethics include?

There are many ways to write a code of ethics, but all of them should include the following:

• The company’s standards of behaviour.
• The company’s relationship with external stakeholders (suppliers, customers, shareholders, society).
• Social, environmental and economic impact statements.

Should non-compliance with the code of ethics be sanctioned?

We already know what a code of conduct is and what it should include, but what happens if the rules it proposes are not complied with? Should fines be established, for example? Companies can indeed impose penalties if the rules are not respected, but they must always be within what is set by the laws in force.

Is the code of ethics equivalent to a collective agreement?

Well, no. A code of ethics compiles the company’s internal rules of conduct, whereas a collective agreement sets out the rights and responsibilities of workers in a given sector.

Now, do you dare to write your own code of ethics?

Photo of Nathan Dumlao in Unsplash.