An employee code of conduct should be made available in the office at all times and each member of staff should be requested to read it before their first day at work. It will outline the expectations of the employer and the behaviors that are acceptable whilst the in the office environment, it should also outline the repercussions that will occur, should any of the stated rules be broken. A code of conduct should help reduce any disagreements in the workplace and create a fair set of rules for every member of staff, where no one has preferential treatment. A few areas you should cover with the code of conduct are as follows:
Appropriate Dress Code
Your employees are representing your business when they are in the office, and when they are leaving work, so it is important to establish dress code expectations before they start work. There doesn’t necessarily have to be a strict uniform in place, but a list of any inappropriate items would be helpful. You’ll want your employees to feel comfortable when they are at work and the clothing they choose to wear is a big part of that.
Use of Company Property
A business will invest a large amount of money in its equipment and resources so staff members need to be respectful of that when they are at work. Computers and other technological devices should be used with care and stationery items should not be used wastefully. Outline whether any serious damage to company property will result in a fine or be expected to be paid back via their wages, that way there will be no disagreements when an issue actually arises.
Professionalism and Respectable Behavior
Office banter can be one of the best things about going to work and light-hearted fun can bring enjoyment to an otherwise difficult day, but there is a fine line between office banter and unacceptable behavior and this should be outlined clearly in the code of conduct. Bullying in the workplace should not be tolerated and colleagues should always behave in a professional manner. Issues such as harassment and inappropriate behavior should never be taken lightly and dealt with before it turns into any serious sexual offences.
Tardiness and Absences
Outline that Tardiness will not be tolerated and although sometimes it cannot be avoided, if it becomes a frequent habit it will be dealt with in a serious matter. Always have your employees best interests at heart and check that there isn’t a bigger issue happening outside of work, if it is just down to poor time keeping, then action will have to be taken otherwise it is unfair on other colleagues who continuously arrive on time.
Conflict of Interest
Conflicts of interest should be avoided by employees when it comes to personal, financial or any other interests that may hinder their capabilities to do their job properly. Encourage any issues that arise to be brought to the table, there may be a way of resolving the issue. This is an important area to bring up before a new employee starts work as you will be investing a lot of time and money into their training.
