Code of ethics is a agreement that establishes the rights and duties of a company, institution, professional category, NGO, etc., from your mission, culture and social positioning, and which must be followed by employees in the exercise of their professional functions.
This is a document that dictates and regulates the rules that govern the functioning of a certain company or organization, and the behavior of its employees and members.
In addition to companies (public or private), a code of ethics can also be developed by institutions, organizations non-governmental organizations, professional categories, political parties and other groups that wish to guide and explain their posture Social.
THE Brazilian Bar Association - OAB, for example, has a specific Code of Ethics that serves to guide all attitudes professionals of lawyers, judges and other professionals who are related to this category in the country.
All content provided in this document, however, must be linked to the universal principles of ethics.
Learn more about the meaning of ethic and read too all about ethics: examples, types and ethics vs. morals.
Basically, codes of ethics are divided into rights and duties: rights intended to constitute the image, identity and profile of the company, for example; and the duties are the obligations and conducts that this company must adopt when performing its services, always seeking to comply with moral and ethical conduct.
Each group – whether companies, political parties, professional categories, etc. – has its own specific policies and practices that dictate the code of ethics.
However, there are some basic principles that are present in almost all codes, such as: the protection of the company's assets, the need for transparency in internal and external communications, sexual or professional harassment, respect between bosses and subordinates and reporting the practice of bribery or corruption.
Factors external to the group are also targeted by the code of ethics, such as their treatment and relationship with consumers, for example.
From this point of view, the code provides for the actions that guide the company's marketing, advertising and communication practices, as well as the quality of service.
The norms established in the code of ethics may (or may not) be linked to civil norms. In this case, failure to comply with some crucial points of the code may be grounds for punishment under laws provided for in criminal and labor legislation.
See also the meaning of Professional ethics.
