Workplace ethics are moral guidelines that shape a company's culture. Having strong ethics benefits a business through increased productivity, reputation, and attracting top talent. To introduce ethics, a company should define its ethical standards, develop a code of conduct, lead by example, train staff on ethical dilemmas, take action for violations, and regularly review the ethics program. Formalizing and enforcing ethics helps ensure employees internalize values and reflect them in their work.

1. ETHICS
IN THE
WORKPLACE

2. To give real service
you must add
something which
cannot be bought
or measured with
money, and that is
sincerity and
integrity.
– Douglas Adams
ETHICS IN THE WORKPLACE:
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW
Workplace ethics is a complex – but increasingly important –
subject.
Society is more conscious and informed about the ethical
practices of businesses. Consumers prefer to buy from
companies with ethical standards and reputations – whether it’s
green credentials, principled working practices or fair trade
sourcing of product. Ethics is increasingly becoming a key
marketing differentiator for many business brands.
The starting point for any customer-facing company has to
be internal communications.
With a strong internal ethics program, your employees are
more likely to internalize high ethical values and reflect them in
their roles.

3. DEFINITION OF WORKPLACE ETHICS
Ethics in the workplace are the moral guidelines that make up
a company’s operating ethos and culture. These are the
principles that guide an individual’s behavior in the
workplace.
Company ethics may well be influenced by external factors.
These could be federal or state legislation, industry regulations as
well as market and consumer demands.
For example, the workplace ethics guiding doctors and healthcare
staff will be different from those involved in retail or hospitality.
Workplace ethics are also influenced by societal expectations.
Values such as fairness, accountability, integrity, citizenship and
responsibility are the most common.

4. EXAMPLES OF ETHICAL PRACTICES IN THE WORKPLACE
Most companies, consciously or unconsciously, already have some form of
ethical practice in place.
Most employers are required to comply with the Occupational Safety and
Health Administration’s safety and health regulations. In addition, the
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission expects companies to have
anti-discriminatory policies in place. Organizations may have already
developed anti-harassment policies and procedures governing workplace
bullying. Guidelines on accepting corporate gifts, standards of employee
behavior and anti-fraud are also commonplace.
Others still will have gone a step further by publishing guidelines on the
ethical sourcing of manufacturing materials or labor, green workplace
practices. Or they may have chosen to donate goods and services to
charitable causes.
Your business is probably at least part of the way towards becoming
an ethical workplace. What may be lacking is formal recognition,
or applying explicit language and labels.

5. WHY ETHICS IS IMPORTANT
Organizations with strong ethics benefit from a highly motivated workforce. Employees who are treated
fairly and respectfully demonstrate a powerful sense of shared purpose and good morale. This, in turn, will
result in increased productivity. And a motivated, engaged workforce will not only be more productive but
also deliver superior customer service.
According to a report published by the Society for Human Resource Management, the stock
price for the 100 most ethical firms outperforms those of their counterparts by 300 percent!
On top of these benefits to your bottom line is the enhanced reputation your brand will
enjoy in the market. Organizations that can demonstrate high ethical standards will
command respect while enjoying strong, honest relationships with consumers.
What’s more, your business will run more smoothly and efficiently. Staff will
have a clear sense of what’s expected of them and they can feel confident in
‘whistle-blowing’ any issues around inappropriate behavior. They will feel
reassured being supported by your organization.
For attracting new talent, having a strong ethical brand will increase your appeal
to new, high caliber recruits. Research tells us that Millennials, in particular, want
to work for organizations making a positive impact on the world. Choosing potential
employers is about principles – not just pay.

6. HOW TO INTRODUCE
WORKPLACE ETHICS
A strong ethical organization isn’t just about having
the right policies and procedures in place. It’s easy
enough, for example, to research and publish an
anti-harassment policy for the company. But that
won’t necessarily deliver the required outcome.
Winning over the hearts and minds of employees
– so they internalize ethical standards – requires
more than just a written policy or statement.
So, how do you go about ensuring ethical
standards are embedded with the workforce so that
they become second nature?
We take you through 6 easily achievable ways for
you to encourage and nurture an ethical approach.

7. DEFINE YOUR ORGANIZATION’S
ETHICAL GUIDELINES
1
The first step is being clear about what workplace ethics means to your
business.
As we have seen, ethics will vary from workplace to workplace. It’s
important to brainstorm with staff members, stakeholders, business leaders,
and if possible, consumers what your workplace ethics look like.
Remember some staff may be reticent to speak out. Include a variety of
channels to capture ideas. This could include anonymous surveys,
suggestions boxes and a hotline.

8. DEVELOP A WRITTEN ETHICAL
CODE OF CONDUCT
2
The next step is to develop a written ethical code of conduct. The code should clearly set out
what’s important to you as a company alongside the standards you expect from staff.
Make it clear what forms of behavior are not acceptable at work – and the consequences for
any breach. It’s a good idea to include information on external sources of professional help
and support within the workplace. For example, an employee experiencing workplace bullying
from a manager may need some external support before laying an internal complaint.
And once it’s finalized make sure you publish the code on the company intranet
and website. Publicize it to all staff with the appropriate level of fanfare.
A published code of ethics encourages transparency and can also be useful in
the recruitment process. It makes it easy for prospective employees to decide
whether or not the company is a good fit for their personal moral code.
Now, this all gets a little more complicated when we’re talking about a
remote work environment. It is here that a well-defined remote culture
is needed, as indicated in the SnackNation guide, with which the
members of a remote work team can feel part of the company.

9. LEAD BY EXAMPLE
3
The drive towards an ethical business must come from the top.
Senior managers and executives must model expected behaviors and
standards. In addition, company leaders should regularly communicate to
staff the importance of workplace ethics. This can be reinforced via
newsletters, blogs, company meetings and more.
Senior management should encourage a trickle-down effect by making
hiring decisions based on ethical behavior. Employees who clearly
demonstrate sound ethical practices should be promoted and rewarded.
In addition, the ethical code of conduct should be referenced within the
annual staff performance review process. This way, it becomes an integral
part of employee evaluations.

10. Staff training of new or existing team members will be critical to supporting a program of workplace ethics.
After all, workplace ethics are not always black and white. It’s these less clear-cut situations that can be problematic.
Role-playing is a good way to get staff members thinking about ethics and applying it in a practical sense.
Think about creating commonplace scenarios. Ask colleagues to share realistic ethical dilemmas they could easily
encounter in the workplace. Here are some common scenarios:
• What would you do in a situation where you see a colleague regularly taking office supplies home from work for their own personal use?
• How would you react if a manager fails to provide mandatory safety equipment for staff performing a manufacturing task?
• What about the colleague who regularly phones in sick when actually they are just having a day off to go shopping?
• If a co-worker posts negative comments on Facebook about a colleague, is that something you should tackle at work?
• Perhaps you have overheard a co-worker making a racial slur about a fellow worker. What do you do?
• How would you react if you see a staff member harassing or bullying a colleague?
Role-playing and discussing ethical dilemmas are a great way of encouraging staff
to debate what it means to be an ethical workplace. And it’s also a good way of keeping
all members of an organization accountable for their actions.
ONBOARD NEW STAFF AND TRAIN
EXISTING ONES
4

11. BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION
5
It’s pointless having an ethical code of conduct if there are no consequences for breaches.
Organizations need to have a zero-tolerance for any violations and must be prepared to
take action against those who cross the line. A code that isn’t enforced will have no
meaning or power and is simply a waste of time.
Clearly communicate what the consequences are of a breach.
For example, verbal warning, written warning or at worst, dismissal.

12. REVIEW AND UPDATE
6
As we’ve seen, ethics in the workplace is a dynamic
concept.
Having gone to the effort of developing an ethical code
of conduct, make sure it stays top of mind. It’s vital that
workplace ethics are reviewed and updated on a regular
basis. Societal changes, technological developments, and
emerging consumer demands can influence ethical
practices.
Make sure you have an annual review mechanism in
place as a minimum. Try to include staff representation
in the evaluation process.

13. Consumers and employees respect companies
with strong ethical standards.
In fact, increasingly they are actively seeking out
businesses with demonstrated high ethical
standards. Ethical businesses are outperforming
the competition making it well worth the investment.
If you would like to know how an intranet
solution could help improve ethical behavior
within your company, contact us at MyHub for
a free demo or 14-day trial.
ETHICAL COMPANIES
REAP THE REWARDS