How to Develop a Code of Ethics
List your personal values., Discuss the company’s values., Review code of ethics written by others., Give the code of ethics a memorable title., Include a table of contents., Have an introduction or prologue., List the core values., Discuss the...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: List your personal values.
Ask yourself questions about your values and what values mean to you.
Consider your personal values and morals as an individual.
These values will inform your code of ethics.You may ask yourself, “What do I believe in?” “How would I like to behave around others?” “How would I like to treat others?” Common values may be "reliable," "dependable," loyal," and "honest." You may also think about how you have treated others in the past.
Consider how you have dealt with moral dilemmas or ethical issues.
Do you feel you acted correctly? If so, you may use this as a model for your code of ethics. -
Step 2: Discuss the company’s values.
If you are writing a code of ethics for a company, you may have a team of employees list the company’s values.
You may also ask the team to look back at any ethical issues or moral dilemmas the company dealt with in the past.
Consider how the company responded to these issues and what could have been done better or be improved.
Have the team consider, “How would the company like to treat ethical issues?” “How would the company like to treat employees and clients?” “What does the company believe in and how does this inform their values?” If the company already has a mission statement, you may use it to inform the company’s values.
Often, a company’s mission statement will say a lot about what the company values and how it approaches ethics. , To help you identify your values and ethics, look at examples of code of ethics from other people and other companies.
Ask friends and family what their code of ethics is and what informs it.
Contact other companies in your field and ask them for a copy of their code of ethics.
Don’t be afraid to use language from other code of ethics.
Use it as a guide or reference and make it your own.
If you use content from other code of ethics, make sure you cite them, especially if you are quoting the content word for word. , Avoid generic titles like “Code of Ethics” or “Code of Values.” Get creative and go for a thematic title that is memorable and catchy.For example, you may choose a title like “The Way We Conduct Ourselves at AB Communications” or “Living Our Values at AB Communications.” For a personal code of ethics, you may choose a title like, “Mark’s Way to Live” or “Sara’s Guide to Being a Good Human Being.” , Format the code of ethics so it is easy to get from section to section.
Put the titles of each section in the table of contents.For example, you may have a section title like, “Introduction” or “Prologue.” You may also have a section title like “Core Values” or “Our Living Values.” , Start the code of ethics with an introduction or prologue that explains why the code is important and what the purpose of the code is.
Address what the code is meant to accomplish.
Note the scope of the code and who it applies to.If you are writing the code of ethics for a company, note in the introduction whether it is mandatory for all employees.
You should also note if the code is a regulatory document that is supposed to inform and manage the employees in ethical situations. , Make a list of the core values and provide a brief summary of what the value means to you, or to the company.
There is no set number of values needed for a code of ethics.
You may have four to eight core values or one to five core values.For example, you may have a core value like “Professional integrity:
We believe every employee should demonstrate integrity in ethical situations.” Or you may have a core value like, “Personal integrity:
I believe in using moral judgement and my conscious as a guide in ethical situations.” , You can also mention why the core values are important, focusing on each value listed.
Write one to two sentences about why you included in each value and how it connects to you as a person, or to your company as a whole.For example, you may note, “Professional integrity is important to us as a company because we believe employees should act with consideration for others.” Or you may note, “Personal integrity is important to me because I believe in treating others with consideration and thoughtfulness.” , Most codes of ethics have an end section that lists resources for employees that they can refer to if they have an ethical dilemma or questions about ethics.
You may list resources like a Human Resources representative or an ethics hotline.If you are writing a personal code of ethics for just yourself, you can include someone you consider a good ethical guide as a resource or skip this section. , Implementing the code of ethics is an important next step.
Have your employees sign a printed copy of the code of ethics to show that they have read and acknowledged it.You can also keep the physical copy of the code of ethics somewhere it can easily be seen, such as in the staff room or the employee lounge. , You can also commit to your own code of ethics by printing it out and signing it.
You can also include the date you signed the code of ethics to confirm you agree to your own code.
You can then post a physical copy of the code in your bedroom or over your desk so you can look at it when you need it. , Make a system where points are given every time the code of ethics is accessed by employees.
Create a recognition program tied to employee use of the code of ethics.
Reward employees who use the code of ethics regularly with prizes or bonuses.
You can also make a penalty system where employees are given mild reprimands for not using the code of ethics when they should have. , Treat the code of ethics like a living document that you look at often and discuss.
Refer to it once a week or once a month, even if you do not have any ethical issues.
This will keep it relevant to how you conduct yourself on a day to day basis.You can also make a point to revisit the code of ethics once a year and review it.
Add or revise sections of it as you see fit.
Make sure it feels relevant and up to date so it gets used on a regular basis. -
Step 3: Review code of ethics written by others.
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Step 4: Give the code of ethics a memorable title.
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Step 5: Include a table of contents.
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Step 6: Have an introduction or prologue.
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Step 7: List the core values.
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Step 8: Discuss the importance of these values.
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Step 9: End with resources for employees
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Step 10: if needed.
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Step 11: Ask employees to sign the code of ethics.
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Step 12: Sign and date your own code of ethics.
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Step 13: Use incentives to get others to use the code of ethics.
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Step 14: Refer to the code of ethics regularly.
Detailed Guide
Ask yourself questions about your values and what values mean to you.
Consider your personal values and morals as an individual.
These values will inform your code of ethics.You may ask yourself, “What do I believe in?” “How would I like to behave around others?” “How would I like to treat others?” Common values may be "reliable," "dependable," loyal," and "honest." You may also think about how you have treated others in the past.
Consider how you have dealt with moral dilemmas or ethical issues.
Do you feel you acted correctly? If so, you may use this as a model for your code of ethics.
If you are writing a code of ethics for a company, you may have a team of employees list the company’s values.
You may also ask the team to look back at any ethical issues or moral dilemmas the company dealt with in the past.
Consider how the company responded to these issues and what could have been done better or be improved.
Have the team consider, “How would the company like to treat ethical issues?” “How would the company like to treat employees and clients?” “What does the company believe in and how does this inform their values?” If the company already has a mission statement, you may use it to inform the company’s values.
Often, a company’s mission statement will say a lot about what the company values and how it approaches ethics. , To help you identify your values and ethics, look at examples of code of ethics from other people and other companies.
Ask friends and family what their code of ethics is and what informs it.
Contact other companies in your field and ask them for a copy of their code of ethics.
Don’t be afraid to use language from other code of ethics.
Use it as a guide or reference and make it your own.
If you use content from other code of ethics, make sure you cite them, especially if you are quoting the content word for word. , Avoid generic titles like “Code of Ethics” or “Code of Values.” Get creative and go for a thematic title that is memorable and catchy.For example, you may choose a title like “The Way We Conduct Ourselves at AB Communications” or “Living Our Values at AB Communications.” For a personal code of ethics, you may choose a title like, “Mark’s Way to Live” or “Sara’s Guide to Being a Good Human Being.” , Format the code of ethics so it is easy to get from section to section.
Put the titles of each section in the table of contents.For example, you may have a section title like, “Introduction” or “Prologue.” You may also have a section title like “Core Values” or “Our Living Values.” , Start the code of ethics with an introduction or prologue that explains why the code is important and what the purpose of the code is.
Address what the code is meant to accomplish.
Note the scope of the code and who it applies to.If you are writing the code of ethics for a company, note in the introduction whether it is mandatory for all employees.
You should also note if the code is a regulatory document that is supposed to inform and manage the employees in ethical situations. , Make a list of the core values and provide a brief summary of what the value means to you, or to the company.
There is no set number of values needed for a code of ethics.
You may have four to eight core values or one to five core values.For example, you may have a core value like “Professional integrity:
We believe every employee should demonstrate integrity in ethical situations.” Or you may have a core value like, “Personal integrity:
I believe in using moral judgement and my conscious as a guide in ethical situations.” , You can also mention why the core values are important, focusing on each value listed.
Write one to two sentences about why you included in each value and how it connects to you as a person, or to your company as a whole.For example, you may note, “Professional integrity is important to us as a company because we believe employees should act with consideration for others.” Or you may note, “Personal integrity is important to me because I believe in treating others with consideration and thoughtfulness.” , Most codes of ethics have an end section that lists resources for employees that they can refer to if they have an ethical dilemma or questions about ethics.
You may list resources like a Human Resources representative or an ethics hotline.If you are writing a personal code of ethics for just yourself, you can include someone you consider a good ethical guide as a resource or skip this section. , Implementing the code of ethics is an important next step.
Have your employees sign a printed copy of the code of ethics to show that they have read and acknowledged it.You can also keep the physical copy of the code of ethics somewhere it can easily be seen, such as in the staff room or the employee lounge. , You can also commit to your own code of ethics by printing it out and signing it.
You can also include the date you signed the code of ethics to confirm you agree to your own code.
You can then post a physical copy of the code in your bedroom or over your desk so you can look at it when you need it. , Make a system where points are given every time the code of ethics is accessed by employees.
Create a recognition program tied to employee use of the code of ethics.
Reward employees who use the code of ethics regularly with prizes or bonuses.
You can also make a penalty system where employees are given mild reprimands for not using the code of ethics when they should have. , Treat the code of ethics like a living document that you look at often and discuss.
Refer to it once a week or once a month, even if you do not have any ethical issues.
This will keep it relevant to how you conduct yourself on a day to day basis.You can also make a point to revisit the code of ethics once a year and review it.
Add or revise sections of it as you see fit.
Make sure it feels relevant and up to date so it gets used on a regular basis.
About the Author
Martha Ramirez
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow crafts tutorials.
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