- 1). Review good examples. Look around at other business ethics codes in your industry. See which are well written. These already existing business ethics codes will provide a guide for your business in terms of style and content.
- 2). Consult your employees. Your employees should be as involved as is realistic in the drafting of a company code of ethics. Hold a meeting and send out questionnaires soliciting employee feedback on what should go into your code.
- 3). Define the scope. The code of ethics should have a clear definition of who it covers and who it does not. Perhaps all employees are governed by your code of ethics, perhaps not. However, your code of ethics should clearly answer this question.
- 4). Address general employee expectations. A code of ethics should talk about how employees are expected to conduct themselves ethically on a typical work day or on typical projects.
- 5). Discuss conflicts of interest in all their forms. Conflicts of interest are not limited to obvious examples such as angling for a spouse's company on the job. You should also address things like gifts from suppliers and customers, as well as what kind of relationships are permitted (both inside the company and without) and which are not.
- 6). Clearly outline reporting expectations. A code of ethics does not begin and end with an individual employee's behavior. It also extends to their duty to report unethical behavior on the part of colleagues and supervisors. Make sure that these expectations are clearly delineated.
- 7). Have specific disciplinary guidelines. Your code of ethics should not just outline the ethics themselves. You should also discuss procedures in place for employees who violate the code of ethics. Specifically state what the range of penalties are for every infraction.
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