An ethics policy outlines how people within an organization will interact with each other and clients, as well as addressing issues such as confidentiality and conflicts of interest. It varies depending on the organization and should be reviewed regularly to remain relevant.
Also known as a code of ethics, an ethics policy is a document that sets out the essential elements of how people within an organization will interact with each other, as well as how they will interact with any clients or customers they serve. A company ethics policy will also often address how employees should interact with suppliers and others who supply goods and services to the company. Because the scope of situations involving human interaction is so broad, a well-designed policy of this type will include general principles and identify the most common situations that may arise.
While the exact nature of an ethics policy will vary from one situation to another, there are a few basic elements that appear in nearly all ethical codes. Many of these have to do with the basics of how employees will interact with each other during work hours. Here, the company will establish guidelines that help ensure that each employee is treated with respect and can feel safe while on the job. More and more companies are specifically addressing issues such as sexual harassment, inappropriate verbiage, and workplace fraternization as part of basic workplace ethics.
Another common element in an ethics policy has to do with confidentiality. This can include ensuring that any data considered proprietary is not shared with unauthorized persons, inside or outside the organization. Proprietary information may include personal data relating to the content of personnel records, upcoming marketing strategies or financial data of any kind.
It’s not unusual for an ethics policy to address how employees can properly interact with vendors and customers. Many companies today do not allow employees to accept gifts from customers or vendors, some go as far as to disallow employees to allow vendors to pay for a meal. The idea behind this approach is to ensure that there are no opportunities for undue influence that would impair the employee’s ability to make decisions that are in the best interest of the company.
Many policies will also address the issue of possible conflicts of interest. This may include taking a second job with a competitor or taking a financial interest in an organization considered to be a competitor. Often these provisions are somewhat specific and will offer examples of what kind of connections with other entities are considered acceptable and which are considered inadequate.
Other arrangements will be based on prevailing standards relating to the nature of the organization itself. There will be some aspects found in a medical ethics policy that may be missing in a political ethics policy, just as some personal ethics concepts found in policies developed for non-profit entities will not be found in a business ethics document. Since the purpose of the policy is to make sure that the entity and those connected to it meet both ethical and legal standards, careful scrutiny and occasional review is often a good idea. This will allow the policy to remain relevant even as new situations arise with increasing frequency or there is a shift in applicable laws in the jurisdiction where the entity is established.
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