What information could you include in an employee code of conduct?

Your code of conduct will typically follow the ethical standards and behavioural guidelines of your business. It may describe or refer to company policies and provide guidance on how they should be followed. A code of conduct usually encompasses and is relevant to all members of staff, regardless of their position in the business hierarchy.

You may wish to refer to the following areas in your code of conduct:

• Dress code and appearance standards
• Discrimination and bullying policies
• How to call in sick
• Leave policies
• Absenteeism
• Employee breaks
• Plagiarism
• Authority
• Corruption and fraud
• Reporting of misconduct
• Correct use of company property
• Caring for the environment and safe waste disposal
• Fair dealing
• Confidentiality and data protection requirements

Your employee code of conduct and the law

An employee code of conduct can support your existing efforts to align workplace practices with applicable requirements. Keep relevant policies aligned with applicable UK requirements (for example, equality and data‑protection obligations), and help employees understand how your organisation addresses discrimination and bullying. Where appropriate, you may consider GDPR‑related training in line with your policy and current official guidance.

Disciplinary procedures

You could also use the employee code of conduct in disciplinary procedures in order to clearly show when an employee is not following company rules and/or policies. The approach you take to addressing concerns may vary depending on the situation and your organisation’s procedures.

Protecting company property

Having your employees follow a code of conduct also helps you to protect company property. When your employees acknowledge a code of conduct that refers to the correct use of your property, you can ensure that all material is treated with care. This could save you time and money in the long term, as it means you are less likely to have to replace valuable equipment if your whole team is acting conscientiously.

Employee monitoring

Your employee code of conduct could also be used as a reference point for reviewing behaviour and consistency with company expectations. Consider your code a checklist you can use to regularly assess your employees. This code will also give your employee tangible rules that can help them improve their behaviour. This means that if you issue a warning to your employee, they will more likely understand how to improve their behaviour.

Employee code of conduct example

An employee code of conduct can be structured in any way that you deem to be clear and easy for your employees to understand. At the end of the day, a code of conduct could improve employer and employee wellbeing and job satisfaction. You can look at these examples of company policies below to give you an idea as to how you can lay out your code of conduct:

Plagiarism example

Original, creative work is highly valued at our company. That is why we appreciate it if you take responsibility for avoiding plagiarism. Plagiarism involves presenting someone else’s ideas and work as your own. Therefore, please use a plagiarism checker alongside a grammar and spelling checker to make sure that your work is completely your own. Also, make sure to reference any material you have used correctly using the AP Style Guide citations method. Have a look at the AP Style Guide for more information.

Employee dress code example

We allow all our employees to dress in smart casual clothing; however, please adhere to the following dress code rules. This is so that you can help to be respectful to your colleagues, customers and clients. When our offices are visited by managers and certain clients, we request all of our employees to dress in casual business clothes. This includes, for example, trousers/skirts/dresses or/including a smart shirt/blouse and plain, closed-toe shoes.

Employee breaks example

During their shift, employees are entitled to one 30-minute break. However, all employees are entitled to ask for a longer lunch break. We appreciate that some of our employees have other commitments which need to be addressed during their lunch break. In these circumstances, employees are allowed to take up to an hour for their lunch break.

All staff should appropriately communicate when they plan to take their lunch break to all members of staff to make sure that there is always one member of staff on the front desk to attend to customers. It is sensible to coordinate your lunch breaks as soon as possible during the day to avoid any confusion or short staffing during these times.

Absenteeism example

We appreciate that all our employees follow their set working hours. Make sure that if you are commuting, you give yourself the right amount of time every day to get to work. If you have any issues getting into work on a particular day, please notify your line manager.

Any employees working flexible hours should also notify their line manager of any possible changes to their shifts and should give adequate notice if they would like to change their hours. Please also check the meeting times and make sure you attend them punctually.

Disciplinary action example

At our company, we take failure to follow our code of conduct very seriously. That is because we believe our code helps to maintain a happy, functional workplace where everyone feels safe and included. Please note that we take a strict no-tolerance attitude towards discrimination and bullying in the workplace.

We suggest that you read our employee code of conduct thoroughly and regularly. If concerns arise, managers will follow the organisation’s established process to review the matter and communicate any next steps. Outcomes vary based on the circumstances and will be handled in line with company policy and any applicable requirements. We value your continued cooperation. Please let us know if you have any concerns.

How to display a code of conduct

Your code of conduct would ideally be presented in a place where it is easy for employees to regularly read it. Your HR department can help you to distribute your code of conduct to the rest of your team. They can send an email to all members of staff if there are any updates to your code of conduct, for example. When the code of conduct is updated, it’s good practice to notify employees through your usual communication channels and make the latest version easy to access.

Establishing a code of conduct is important to both you and your employees to help foster a healthy company culture. You can use the code of conduct as a reference point when discussing performance or behaviour in line with your organisation’s established HR processes. It should be easy for employees to familiarise themselves with all points in your employee code of conduct.

You may wish to present your code of conduct in an accessible location for employees, and online for clients and customers if you deem it necessary.