What information should I include in an employee code of conduct?
Your code of conduct should follow the ethical standards and behavioural guidelines of your business. It may describe or refer to company policies and give some guidance as to how they should be followed. You should aim for your code of conduct to encompass and be 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;
- laws relating to the environment and safe waste disposal;
- fair dealing;
- confidentiality and GDPR requirements.
How does an employee code of conduct help you to comply with the law?
An employee code of conduct helps your employees to ensure their work is compliant with the law. A code of conduct is not technically legally binding, but many aspects of your code may have to be followed according to UK law. 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, consider GDPR‑related training in line with your policy and current official guidance.
How does a code of conduct help with disciplinary procedures?
You can use the employee code of conduct in disciplinary procedures. Having one means that it is easier to show when an employee is not following company rules and/or policies. The way you discipline an employee may depend on the severity of their actions; for instance, you may have a different way of handling the breaking of dress code rules compared to behaviour involving discrimination or bullying.
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 will 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.
Codes of conduct and employee monitoring
Use as a reference point for reviewing behaviour and consistency with company expectations. Consider your code as a checklist with which you can 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 understand how their behaviour can be improved.
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 should help provide both you and your employees with increased well-being 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. Please do not wear jeans, leggings or any see-through items of clothing. Do not wear items of clothing that are printed with illegal statements, swearing or profanity. 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 expect all of our employees to dress in casual business clothes. In these circumstances, you should wear formal 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 that you give yourself the right amount of time every day to get into work. If you have any issues getting into work on a particular day, please notify your line manager. Any employees working on flexible hours should also notify their line manager of any possible alterations to their shifts and should make sure to give adequate notice if they would like to change their hours. Please also check the times of meetings and make sure that 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. This is so that you can make sure that you do not fall short of its requirements. If concerns arise, managers will follow the organisation’s established process for reviewing the matter and communicating 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, and please let us know if you have any concerns.
How to display a code of conduct
You should ideally make sure that your code of conduct is 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. Some rules may relate to legal obligations, so aligning them with current UK requirements can help reinforce consistency across your policies. You can use the code of conduct to praise or discipline employees depending on their behaviour, issuing warnings based on poor conduct. 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 easy to reach location for employees, and online for clients and customers if you deem it necessary. Further reading:
