Policy brief & purpose
Our professional code of ethics policy aims to give our employees guidelines on our business ethics and stance on various controversial matters. We trust you to use your better judgment, but we want to provide you with a concrete guide you can fall back on if you’re unsure about how you should act (e.g. in cases of conflict of interest). We will also use this policy to outline the consequences of violating our business code of ethics.
Scope
This policy applies to everyone we employ or have business relations with. This includes individual people such as employees, interns, volunteers, but also business entities, such as vendors, enterprise customers or venture capital companies.
Note that our code of ethics is slightly different than our code of conduct (appears in full in the Employee Handbook). Code of conduct may include elements such as dress code and social media use, whilst our code of professional ethics refers to legally or morally charged issues. Still, these two codes do overlap.
Policy elements
What is meant by the code of professional ethics?
First, let’s define professional ethics: they are a set of principles that guide the behavior of people in a business context. They are essential to maintaining the legality of business and a healthy workplace.
So what is a code of ethics? Our code of ethics definition refers to the standards that apply to a specific setting – in this case, our own organization.
What is the purpose of a professional code of ethics?
Having our business ethics in writing doesn’t mean that we don’t trust our employees. We strive to hire ethical people who have their own personal standards, so we expect that a written code won’t be necessary most of the time.
But, it can still be helpful. You may find yourself in a situation where you’re not sure how you should act. Life is full of grey areas where right and wrong aren’t so apparent. Some professional ethics also correspond to laws that you absolutely must know to do your job properly, so we will mention them in our code of ethics.
Additionally, every organization makes bad hires every once in a while. We also can’t predict how people are going to behave. When an employee behaves, or intends to behave, in a way that’s against our professional ethics, or applicable laws, we will have clear guidelines on what disciplinary actions we will consider.
For these reasons, we advise you to read this document carefully and consult with your manager or management, if you have doubts or questions.
The components of our code of professional ethics:
We base our business code of ethics on common principles of ethics:
- Respect for others. Treat people as you want to be treated.
- Integrity and honesty. Tell the truth and avoid any wrongdoing to the best of your ability.
- Justice. Make sure you’re objective and fair and don’t disadvantage others.
- Lawfulness. Know and follow the law – always.
- Competence and accountability. Work hard and be responsible for your work.
- Solidarity and Teamwork. Collaborate and ask for help and show solidarity to your colleagues.
- Reliability. We entrust our employees to complete their tasks in the given time independently.
Here’s a more detailed overview of our code:
Respect for others
It’s mandatory to respect everyone you interact with. Be kind, polite and understanding. You must respect others’ personal space, opinions and privacy. Any kind of violence is strictly prohibited and will result in immediate assessment (which can lead to the termination of the contract). You’re also not allowed to harass or victimize others. More about the topic is covered in the Harassment and Violence section of Workplace Policies in the Employee Handbook.
What constitutes harassment or victimization? To answer this, we have a policy on harassment and a more specific policy on sexual harassment you can take a look at in the Workplace Policies sections of the Employee Handbook. In our company we value sincerity and transparency and sharing opinions, but all these must be expressed in a constructive and a sensitive approach.
If someone, be it customer, colleague or stakeholder, is offensive, demeaning or threatening toward you or someone you know, report them immediately to the management or your manager. You can also report rudeness and dismissiveness if they become excessive or frequent. If it is possible we also encourage you to try and engage with the person in order to resolve the issue together.
Integrity and Honesty
First, always keep in mind our organization’s mission. We all work together to achieve specific outcomes. Your behavior should contribute to our goals, whether financial or organizational.
Be honest and transparent when you act in ways that impact other people (e.g. taking strategic decisions or deciding on layoffs). We don’t tolerate malicious, deceitful or petty conduct. Lies and cheating are huge red flags and, if you’re discovered, you may face progressive discipline or immediate termination depending on the damage you did. You can read about the process in Progressive Discipline and Termination under Employee Resignation and Termination section in the Employee Handbook.
Stealing from the company or other people is illegal. If you’re caught, you will face repercussions depending on the severity of your actions. For example, if you steal office supplies, you may receive a reprimand or demotion (at a minimum), while if you steal money or data (e.g. engaging in fraud or embezzlement), you will get fired and face legal consequences. The decision is at management’s discretion on a case-by-case basis.
Mistakes are natural and happen to us all. If you make a mistake in your work, we expect you to report and be transparent about it, and not try to cover it up.
Conflict of Interest
Conflict of interest may occur whenever your interest in a particular subject leads you to actions, activities or relationships that undermine our company. This includes situations like using your position’s authority for your own personal gain or exploiting company resources to support a personal money-making business. Even when you seemingly act to the company’s advantage, you may actually disadvantage it. For example, if an employee uses dubious methods to get competitor intel and raise their sales record, their action will have a positive impact on the company’s revenue, but it will put us at a legal risk and promote unhealthy business practices.
If it turns out you have created a conflict of interest for yourself, you will be reassessed, and your contract may be terminated as a result. If the conflict of interest was involuntary (e.g. buying stocks from a company without knowing they’re a competitor), we will take actions to rectify the situation. If you repeat the offence, your contract may be terminated.
For a detailed look at the subject, you can turn to the Conflict of Interest under the Code of Conduct section in our Employee Handbook.
Justice
Don’t act in a way that exploits others, their hard work or their mistakes. Give everyone equal opportunity and speak up when someone else doesn’t.
Be objective when making decisions that can impact other people, including when you’re deciding to hire, promote or fire someone. Be sure that you can justify any decision with written records or examples..
Also, don’t discriminate against people with protected characteristics, as this is forbidden by law, and detailed fully in Equal Opportunity Employment under the Employment Basics section in our Employee Handbook. If you suspect you may have an unconscious bias that influences your decisions, ask for help from management or colleagues.
When exercising authority, be fair. Don’t show favoritism toward specific employees and be transparent when you decide to praise or reward an employee. You’re also obliged to follow our employment of relatives policy (detailed in the Code of Conduct section of the Employee Handbook), which forbids you from having a reporting relationship with a relative.
If you need to discipline an employee, be sure to have prepared a case that you can present to management. You must not retaliate against employees or applicants (such as in cases when they’ve filed complaints, or request any leave, etc.) as this is considered an offence as described in Harassment and Violence under the Workplace Policies section in our Employee Handbook.
Be just toward customers or vendors, too. If you think our company was in the wrong in a specific instance, don’t try to cover it up or accuse the other side. Discuss with your manager to find solutions that can benefit both sides.
Lawfulness
You are obliged to follow all laws which apply to our organization. Depending on your role and profession, there might be various laws you need to observe. For example, accountants and medical professionals have their own legal restrictions and they must be fully aware of them.
When you’re preparing contracts, clauses, disclaimers or online copy that may be governed by law (such as consent forms), please ask for verification from [our legal counsel] before finalizing anything.
You’re also covered by our confidentiality and data protection policy (detailed under the Workplace Policies section in our Employee Handbook). You must not expose, disclose or endanger information of customers, employees, stakeholders or our business. Always follow our cybersecurity policy, too (detailed under the Code of Conduct section in our Employee Handbook).
Following laws regarding fraud, bribery, corruption and any kind of assault is a given. You are also obliged to follow laws on child labor and avoid doing business with unlawful organizations.
If you’re not sure what the law is in a specific instance, don’t hesitate to ask management for legal counsel.
Competence and accountability
We all need to put a healthy amount of effort in our work. Not just because we’re all responsible for the organization’s success, but also because slacking off affects our colleagues. Incomplete or slow working might hinder other people’s work or cause them to shoulder the burden themselves. This comes in direct conflict with our respect and integrity principles.
We also expect you to take up opportunities for learning and development, either on-the-job or via educational material or training. If you are unsure how you can achieve this, have an open discussion with your manager.
Also, take responsibility for your actions. We all make mistakes or need to make tough decisions and it’s important we own up to them. Failing to be accountable on a regular basis or in important situations (e.g. a crucial mistake in our financial records) will result in reassessment (and result in contract termination). If you take responsibility and come up with ways to fix your mistakes where possible, you will be in a far better position.
Teamwork
Working well with others is a virtue and a given. You will certainly get to work autonomously and be focused on your own projects and responsibilities. But, you should also be ready to collaborate with and help others, as well as to show solidarity with your fellows.
Be generous with your expertise and knowledge. Be open to learning and evolving. If days go by without you consulting or brainstorming with anyone, you are missing out on opportunities for excellence. Instead, work with others and don’t hesitate to ask for help when you need it.
Reliability
We entrust our employees to complete their tasks in the given time independently. We understand that modern life may require flexibility for working hours. Remote working is given as long as participation in the meeting is not jeopardized. On some given days presence in the office will be required.
For a further read on the subject please turn to Attendance under the Employment Basics section, and also Work From Home under the Benefits and Perks section of our Employee Handbook.
