Employment Policies and Organisational Codes of Ethics

Employment Policies

State and Federal legislation is based on the principle that employers are responsible for ensuring that the working environment is free from destructive and unethical behaviour such as discrimination, sexual harassment and bullying. Worklogic has considerable experience in drafting and appraising employment policies. Reviewing your existing employment policies and procedures, we can advise whether the employment policies are comprehensive and identify any gaps. We can develop and evaluate your organisation’s employment policies regarding:

• Discrimination (including racial and religious vilification)
• Sexual Harassment
• Bullying
• Grievance / Complaint Procedures
• Whistleblower Procedures
• Serious Misconduct

Having clear, up-to-date employment policies will assist employees to comply with the employer’s standards for behaviour at work. Employment policies should inform employees what is appropriate and what is not appropriate, and thereby reduce the likelihood of harassment, discrimination and bullying occurring in the workplace. The employer will then be able to respond with confidence if employees act inappropriately.

Organisational Codes of Ethics

Organisational Codes of Ethics or an Ethics Statement serve a number of purposes. A well-drafted Code of Ethics, that is a true reflection of the organisation’s aspirations, will:

• guide staff behaviour;
• provide guidance where existing employment policies are silent;
• over time, improve the organisation’s ethical character as demonstrated in its operations and culture;
• demonstrate integrity and accountability to external stakeholders;
  reduce risk;
• strengthen the employment value proposition; and
• attract the right people (employees, customers, collaborators).

Worklogic assists large and small organisations to draft and implement organisational Codes of Ethics. The drafting process usually commences with research into industry standards and the organisation’s existing strategic documents, such as Mission Statements and Annual Reports. Next, focus groups are held with staff, and feedback obtained from selected stakeholders. Employees and senior leaders are engaged in the drafting process to ensure that the Code of Ethics becomes an effective guide to employee conduct and decision-making. The implementation of the final organisational Code of Ethics is important. Our consultants run awareness programs to ensure that employees feel comfortable to engage with and apply the new Code of Ethics. The creation of an organisational Code of Ethics is a long-term investment in employee morale, risk management, culture improvement and the bottom line.

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