A code of conduct sets out how people are expected to behave at work and what happens when they do not. The best ones are specific enough to apply on a busy shift.
| Section | Example standard |
|---|---|
| Respect | No harassment, threats or slurs, in person or online |
| Safety | Follow posted safety rules, report hazards and injuries the same shift |
| Honesty | Record your own time accurately; never clock in for someone else |
| Conflicts of interest | Tell your manager before working for a competitor or supplier |
| Reporting | Report concerns to a manager or HR, with no retaliation for good-faith reports |
A ready-to-edit starting point is the code of conduct template.
A restaurant group’s code says: “Employees may not discuss company business on social media.” After a server posts a complaint about tips and is told to delete it, the owner asks whether the rule holds up.
EZTime digital HR forms let you send, sign and file employee documents online.
Read literally, the rule covers employees talking to each other about pay, which Section 7 protects. The group rewrites it to target the real risks: do not share customer personal information, do not post confidential recipes or business plans, do not post threats or harassment, and do not speak as if on behalf of the company. A line at the end says the rule does not limit employees’ rights to discuss wages or working conditions.
The new rule is narrower and also easier to enforce, because a shift manager can tell whether a post breaks it.
A code of conduct works when people know it and see it used. Introduce it in onboarding with a few real examples, ask for acknowledgment, and refer to it in recognition and in discipline. When a manager thanks someone for reporting a hazard the same shift, they can mention the code’s safety section, which teaches it better than a policy reminder.
Review it every year or two, and after any incident that it did not handle well. Check that each rule still matches the law and the business, and that reporting routes still name real people. Remove rules nobody enforces, because an unenforced rule weakens the ones that matter.
A facilities company’s code says to tell your manager before working for a supplier. A maintenance technician starts weekend work for a company that also sells parts to his employer, and mentions it to his manager the week before.
The manager records the disclosure, and the two agree he will not be involved in choosing that supplier for any job. Months later, when a coworker raises concerns about the arrangement, the record shows the disclosure was made and handled under the code.
Standards for respect, safety, honesty, conflicts of interest and use of company property, plus how to report concerns and what happens when the code is broken.
Most private employers are not required to have one, but it is common practice and useful when enforcing standards consistently.
A code of ethics usually states values and principles. A code of conduct turns them into specific rules of behavior.
Rules that stop employees from discussing wages or working conditions with each other can conflict with Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act for non-supervisory employees.
Many companies apply relevant parts, such as safety and respect, to contractors and visitors on site, and say so in their contracts.
The response depends on the seriousness, and usually follows the progressive discipline policy, with serious misconduct able to skip steps.
Digital HR forms, e-signatures and a digital employee file with expiry reminders, plus announcements by location, department or role.