Code of Ethics: Policies and Procedures
All organisations should have formal written policies in place on exactly what it is that they expect from their employees. A 'Code of Ethics' should be made available to new employees and even existing employees could be giving a refresher course on the existing policies. All employees should be made aware of the importance of this code and the seriousness in failing to follow these policies and procedures.
With the changes today in the way that organisations now rely on Social Networking sites, it is vital that companies include in their Code of Ethics rules and regulation on how social networking sites can be used by company employees. If organisations have staff members posting to sites such as Facebook or Twitter, then these members must be made aware of the limits on exactly how much information it is that they can post out there to others.
While social networking can work to an organisations advantage, one mis-quote or false accusation can lead to an employee or a company being held accountable for it in a court of law.
Writing a Code of Ethics
There are some basic facts which must be adhered to when writing a Code of Ethics.
1. The language should be relevant to the type of company it's for and it should be written in a way that is easily understandable by all the staff.
2. It should be generalised and not differentiate between management and employees. All staff should be expected to behave in the same way.
3. All departments of the organisation should be involved in its drafting to ensure all aspects of the organisation are accounted for.
4. This code should be continuously updated as the organisation grows and signed and dated by management and employees should be notified of these changes.
5. The topics that might be covered in this code could relate to record keeping, contract formation, client confidentiality, supplier relationships e.t.c
1. The language should be relevant to the type of company it's for and it should be written in a way that is easily understandable by all the staff.
2. It should be generalised and not differentiate between management and employees. All staff should be expected to behave in the same way.
3. All departments of the organisation should be involved in its drafting to ensure all aspects of the organisation are accounted for.
4. This code should be continuously updated as the organisation grows and signed and dated by management and employees should be notified of these changes.
5. The topics that might be covered in this code could relate to record keeping, contract formation, client confidentiality, supplier relationships e.t.c
Disciplinary Step
If an employee fails to follow the 'Code of Ethics' or misbehaves in a way which in not appropriate in regards to the organisations policies or procedures, then certain action must be taken. There are five steps that must be followed before an employee can actually be fired from a job. Employees need to be aware of the disciplinary action stages and should at no time be surprised that disciplinary action could result in termination of employment for any inappropriate action in the workplace.
Stages
1. Caution
2. Verbal Warning
3. Written Warning
4. Final Warning
5. Disciplinary Action
1. Caution
This caution will take place between the manager and the employee and involves putting the employee on notice that their behaviour has been noticed. The reason an employee might be given a caution could be in regards to absenteeism or misuse of company time. Sometimes a caution could just be what the employee needs to make them aware that they are misbehaving. Also the caution allows the employer to find out exactly what it is that is wrong with the employee. They might be having personal problems at home or in fact might be under extreme pressure at work. A caution still needs to be recorded in an employee's file.
2. Verbal Warning
A verbal warning while verbal is still recorded on an employee's file. Again if a caution has not resulted in a change in the employee's behaviour then a verbal warning is issued. This is the first serious step toward notifying an employee that management are not happy with their behaviour. All warnings needs to be recorded in an employee's file in case of conflict with any decisions made later on. When a verbal warning is issued usually it is followed by a trial period where the employee must try to improve their performance or adjust their behaviour. Both parties in this instance would come to some agreed terms and would work together to help solve the problem that has occurred. Once the time frame is reached and no further problems have occurred, the note on the employees file could be removed.
3. Written Warning
A written warning involves giving the employee a letter stating that their behaviour is not appropriate. It follows a caution and a verbal warning. It would also be recorded in the employees file. A written warning letter should explain to the employees
- What the issue is.
- What action will be taken to correct it.
- A timescale on which it must be achieved.
Once the employee is notified in writing be it about their actions, attitude or behaviour they need to understand that management are serious and are not going to let this matter settle.
4. Final Written Warning
Once the final written warning is given to the employee they must be notified of the consequence of their actions continuing. If they do not follow the procedure and agreement that is reached between both parties, then their future actions could result in suspension or dismissal. Employees should never receive a final warning and not know how serious it is. The previous steps should always identify the seriousness of receiving a final written warning.
5. Disciplinary Action
If the previous steps did not work, then the final action to take is a disciplinary hearing. Once a situation reaches this stage, every previous action taken by the employer will be evaluated to ensure that an employee was not unfairly dismissed. It is up to the employer to be able to ensure that they tried to work with the employee to improve the situation.
When a disciplinary hearing is held both sides are involved. All necessary documentation is presented by both parties and each should tell their side of the story. The employee (defendant) should have a representative present who understands the seriousness of the situation. Once the evidence is heard the employee leaves the room and time is taken to reach a decision. This is to ensure that there is no bias or previous ruling made in regards to the situation.
The result of a disciplinary hearing could end in:
- A transfer to another area
- Dismissal
- Suspension
Stages
1. Caution
2. Verbal Warning
3. Written Warning
4. Final Warning
5. Disciplinary Action
1. Caution
This caution will take place between the manager and the employee and involves putting the employee on notice that their behaviour has been noticed. The reason an employee might be given a caution could be in regards to absenteeism or misuse of company time. Sometimes a caution could just be what the employee needs to make them aware that they are misbehaving. Also the caution allows the employer to find out exactly what it is that is wrong with the employee. They might be having personal problems at home or in fact might be under extreme pressure at work. A caution still needs to be recorded in an employee's file.
2. Verbal Warning
A verbal warning while verbal is still recorded on an employee's file. Again if a caution has not resulted in a change in the employee's behaviour then a verbal warning is issued. This is the first serious step toward notifying an employee that management are not happy with their behaviour. All warnings needs to be recorded in an employee's file in case of conflict with any decisions made later on. When a verbal warning is issued usually it is followed by a trial period where the employee must try to improve their performance or adjust their behaviour. Both parties in this instance would come to some agreed terms and would work together to help solve the problem that has occurred. Once the time frame is reached and no further problems have occurred, the note on the employees file could be removed.
3. Written Warning
A written warning involves giving the employee a letter stating that their behaviour is not appropriate. It follows a caution and a verbal warning. It would also be recorded in the employees file. A written warning letter should explain to the employees
- What the issue is.
- What action will be taken to correct it.
- A timescale on which it must be achieved.
Once the employee is notified in writing be it about their actions, attitude or behaviour they need to understand that management are serious and are not going to let this matter settle.
4. Final Written Warning
Once the final written warning is given to the employee they must be notified of the consequence of their actions continuing. If they do not follow the procedure and agreement that is reached between both parties, then their future actions could result in suspension or dismissal. Employees should never receive a final warning and not know how serious it is. The previous steps should always identify the seriousness of receiving a final written warning.
5. Disciplinary Action
If the previous steps did not work, then the final action to take is a disciplinary hearing. Once a situation reaches this stage, every previous action taken by the employer will be evaluated to ensure that an employee was not unfairly dismissed. It is up to the employer to be able to ensure that they tried to work with the employee to improve the situation.
When a disciplinary hearing is held both sides are involved. All necessary documentation is presented by both parties and each should tell their side of the story. The employee (defendant) should have a representative present who understands the seriousness of the situation. Once the evidence is heard the employee leaves the room and time is taken to reach a decision. This is to ensure that there is no bias or previous ruling made in regards to the situation.
The result of a disciplinary hearing could end in:
- A transfer to another area
- Dismissal
- Suspension
Some Facts
- Between 2011 and 2012, 186,300 claims were accepted by employment tribunals (ET) in the United Kingdom.
- In Australia 82% of unfair dismissal cases were settled in mediation.
- In 2013, the Supreme court in France upheld that dismissing an employee absent from work due to stress, workload or exhaustion was unfair.
- In Australia 82% of unfair dismissal cases were settled in mediation.
- In 2013, the Supreme court in France upheld that dismissing an employee absent from work due to stress, workload or exhaustion was unfair.
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