Warfield & Associates: Code of Conduct Services
The world is complex and this complexity makes it imperative for
all organisations to have guidelines for behavior.
It is important for all your clients or customers, your staff and
other stakeholders - to understand exactly what your organisation stands for
and how they can expect you to conduct business.
A Code of Conduct is basically a set of standards describing the
behaviour you expect of your own people. Relevant laws, regulations and
internal policies do not govern all behaviour. A Code of Conduct should be an
integral part of the way you work every day. The Code doesn't change the basic
nature of the business you undertake, but instead it should articulate the way
you strive to conduct business.
Whilst no Code of Conduct or ethics management activity can
guarantee the prevention of wrongdoing, a Code of Conduct, coupled with
appropriate supporting activities, is considered a "best practice"
that can help to sustain a culture in which integrity is valued and promoted
through everyday business practice.
ASX Corporate Governance Council’s principle three relates to
promoting ethical and responsible decision-making. It states in the section ‘Application of a
code of conduct’:
“Companies should formulate
policies on appropriate behaviour of directors, senior executives and employees. Companies should
encourage the integration of these policies into company-wide management
practices. A code of conduct supported
by appropriate training and monitoring of compliance with the code are
effective ways to guide the behaviour of directors, senior executives and
employees and demonstrate the commitment of the company to ethical practices.
Companies should ensure that training on the code of conduct is updated on a
regular basis.”
We have developed Code of Conduct Services that take into account
the ASX Corporate Governance Council’s Guidelines as well as the Australian
Standard AS 8002-2003 : Corporate governance - Organizational Codes of Conduct.
Our services include:
Developing or Reviewing a Code of
Conduct
We have incorporated the Australian Standard AS8002-2003 as well
as our own significant experience investigating unethical behaviour into a
process for developing a tailored Code of Conduct. We believe that it is important to get buy-in
from your stakeholders and this is achieved by focus sessions and/or
questionnaires to ensure specific issues that your organisation has encountered
or staff have been subject to in the past are incorporated into the Code of
Conduct.
Once the feedback has been obtained from these focus sessions
and/or questionnaires, we then develop a draft Code of Conduct in draft form
that we discuss with you.
Implementing a Code of Conduct
Once a Code of Conduct has been developed or reviewed, we can
assist with its implementation. It is
important that the Code of Conduct is accessible to stakeholders. This includes considering widely publishing
the Code of Conduct.
Code of Conduct training
It is important that stakeholders understand what the Code of
Conduct represents. This is best
achieved by face to face training that incorporates scenarios based on real
life situations. This assists staff to understand
and apply the concepts from the Code of Conduct.
We also can develop an induction component of the Code to ensure
all new staff receive in the key concepts of what is expected of them during
their employment.’
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