4 Ways Code of Conduct Training Empowers Employees, Suppliers and Contractors to Behave Ethically

An organization’s reputation and culture are affected by the day-to-day decisions of employees, suppliers and contractors. A Code of Conduct identifies an organization’s mission, values, principles, policies and standards of professional conduct to help representatives of its brand make the right decisions.

Written codes of conduct exist for organizations and industries, as well as their suppliers, government contractors and subcontractors. Interactive code of conduct training is needed to ensure employees understand the purpose and importance of the organization’s code and can practice applying its principles to real-life workplace situations they may encounter.

According to a survey by The Ethics & Compliance Initiative, an independent research provider on workplace integrity, ethical standards and compliance processes and practices in public and private institutions, US employees feel twice as much pressure today to bend the rules than before the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey results underline the need for regular training that reinforces a code’s provisions and communicates the individual and organizational consequences of violating its standards.

Code of Conduct Training as an Empowerment Tool

Here are 4 ways that code of conduct training empowers team members, suppliers and contractors:

1. Drives ethical behavior, accountability and a positive work environment
   By communicating what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior, whether onsite, remote or in a hybrid work environment, code of conduct training offers valuable guidance on how to handle workplace dilemmas.  Setting clear expectations for behavior includes fostering a diverse, inclusive and respectful workplace and encouraging individuals to speak up about harassment and discrimination, retaliation and other violations of company policies.
2. Starts new employees off on the right foot
   Including code of conduct training as part of the onboarding process instills a mindset of ethics and integrity in new employees from the moment they join the organization. Regular training reinforces the message that the actions of employees should always align with the code, which will serve as the benchmark for acceptable behavior and social norms for the duration of their career with an organization.
3. Builds trust with an organization
   Code of conduct training increases awareness and provides clarity around rules, the rights and responsibilities of staff members, procedures for reporting and addressing violations and the consequences for misconduct. By instilling confidence in an organization’s commitment and ability to consistently uphold its code, training increases employee trust in leadership, which can lead to higher job satisfaction and engagement.
4. Sets expectations with third parties
   Code of conduct training for suppliers, federal contractors and subcontractors ensures they understand their contractual obligations to comply with laws, regulations and standards of behavior within all parts of their operations, and meet the organization’s expectations regarding labor, ethics, health and safety and the environment.

Traliant Insight

Codes of conduct make it clear to anyone operating on behalf of your organization that they need to comply with ethical standards of behavior. When supported by training, a code’s written mission and values are brought to life to help employees, suppliers and contractors understand how their day-to-day workplace actions and decisions impact an organization’s culture, reputation and success.

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