Workplace Ethics Training For Employees & Management
Ethics Management: Professionalism in the Workplace is a course covering the key elements of Ethics training and professionalism in the workplace. Our ethics training program will help you develop your ability to recognize and promote ethical decisions in the workplace, and identify ethical and unethical actions and behaviors.
Being a professional means acting ethically, demonstrating integrity, treating everyone with dignity and respect, and owning up to mistakes. Ethics training for employees and supervisors can have a significant positive impact on employee behavior.
These courses include workplace ethics training and business ethics training.
Our decisions have long-lasting effects. Accepting gifts from a vendor or dating an employee who reports to you may seem innocent, but ethically they represent conflicts of interest.
Ethics Training Program – Supervisor Edition
- Content: Ethics for Supervisors: Professionalism in the Workplace
- Version: Supervisor
- Course Length: 1.5 Hours
- Languages Available: English
- Price: $19.99 (single user e-learning enrollment)
Ethics Management for Supervisors: Professionalism in the Workplace is designed to bolster and refresh your knowledge of workplace ethics. Develop your ability to recognize and promote ethical decisions in the workplace. Identify ethical and unethical decisions and behaviors. Ethics represent a set of standards and values that define how a business will manage itself and how it will promote the greater good. An organization’s policies guide its employees on what is acceptable behavior. As a supervisor, you are responsible for guiding employees with principles of confidentiality, honesty, and transparency in business dealings and conduct toward others.
Our Ethics Management for Supervisors course will reinforce principles that positively impact your organization’s public image, ensures the best use of resources, and assists in legal compliance. Our ethics training also provides guidelines for managing ethical behavior, promoting professionalism, and creating a code of conduct for your organization. Review practical examples of ethical and unethical actions and use an Ethical Decision Making Model to help you and your employees navigate ethical dilemmas.
Learning Objectives - Ethics for Supervisors
- Define ethics in the workplace
- Identify why an organization needs ethics training
- Evaluate common workplace ethics codes of conduct
- Weigh social responsibility factors that influence business ethics
- Compare examples of ethical & unethical actions
- Review reporting procedures & determine when to report
- Analyze the characteristics of an ethical organization
- Evaluate the causes of ethical dilemmas
- Establish ethical best practices for management
Benefits of Supervisor Ethics Training
- Maintain quality and productivity
- Ensure best use of resources
- Positively impact your organization’s public image
- Invest in your management team’s professional development
- Protect sensitive information
- Create a professional environment
- Customizable group activities (discussion scenarios, interactive quizzes, test)
Ethics Training Program – Employee Edition
- Content: Ethics for Employees: Professionalism in the Workplace
- Version: Employee
- Course Length: 1.5 Hours
- Languages Available: English
- Price: $19.99 (single user e-learning enrollment)
Ethics Management for Employees: Professionalism in the Workplace is an introductory course designed for entry-level employees and provides a foundation for the key elements of Ethics training and professionalism in the workplace.
Many employees entering the workforce wonder, “How do I interact with co-workers and customers? What is expected of me in the workplace?”
Throughout our careers, most of us will have many different jobs requiring different sets of skills. No matter what the industry, they have one thing in common: in order to succeed and advance, we need to demonstrate professionalism.
Being a professional means acting ethically, demonstrating integrity, treating everyone with dignity and respect, showing poise, and owning up to mistakes.
Join us as we review practical examples of ethical/unethical decisions and modern examples of professional/unprofessional behaviors.
Learning Objectives - Ethics for Employees
- Define ethics in the workplace
- Compare examples of ethical & unethical actions
- Review reporting procedures & determine when to report
- Evaluate the causes of ethical dilemmas
- Establish ethical best practices for employees
Benefits of Employees Ethics Training
- Provide guidance to new employees
- Avoid costly mistakes
- Invest in your employees’ professional development
- Create a professional environment
- Customizable group activities (discussion scenarios, interactive quizzes, test)
Characteristics of Ethical Behavior
- Consistently acting with good values
- Demonstrating respect through dignity, diversity, and equality
- Guiding your actions with principles of confidentiality, honesty, and transparency in business and in conduct toward others
Primary Causes of Unethical Workplace Behavior
- Pressure to meet unrealistic goals and deadlines
- Increase in market competition
- Economic greed
- Pressure to earn profits from Stakeholders
- Lack of management support
- Poor leadership
Examples of Unethical Behavior
- Time theft: Violating the organization’s internet, computer, or social media usage policy; conducting personal business on company time.
- Dishonesty: Gossiping; spreading rumors; using false advertising to lure in potential customers.
- Attendance: Chronic tardiness; absenteeism.
- Abusive conduct: Abusive behavior; bullying; coercion; threatening an employee for complaining about working conditions.
- Denial: Ignoring safety mandates; ignoring a potentially harmful problem at work; withholding information.
Your organization’s management and policies should guide employee actions to ensure employees at all levels are educated on what is expected of them while representing the company. This is where a professional ethics training program can help.
Takeaways
- Respect the privacy of co-workers
- Control access to sensitive information
- Follow company policies and codes of conduct
- Fulfill your obligations
- Keep accurate records
- Avoid excuses
- Report problems & complaints immediately
- Treat everyone with courtesy and respect
Ethics Training FAQ
Ethics training is a program designed to educate employees about an organization’s ethical standards and expectations. It helps individuals understand the principles of right and wrong in a professional context and guides them in making ethical decisions.
Employees can be trained to be ethical through workshops, seminars, online courses, role-playing scenarios, and regular discussions on ethical dilemmas. Training should be interactive, engaging, and relevant to the specific challenges employees face in their roles.
An ethics course typically covers topics such as the organization’s code of conduct, ethical decision-making processes, case studies of ethical dilemmas, legal requirements, and the consequences of unethical behavior. It may also include discussions, quizzes, and practical exercises to reinforce learning.
Yes, ethics can be taught and trained. While individuals may have their own moral compass, structured ethics training helps them understand the specific ethical standards of their organization and provides tools to handle ethical dilemmas effectively.
Practicing ethics involves consistently applying ethical principles in everyday decision-making. This includes honest, transparent, respectful, and fair interactions with colleagues, clients, and stakeholders. It also involves being aware of and avoiding conflicts of interest and adhering to the organization’s code of conduct.
Ethics certification formally recognizes that an individual or organization has completed a specific ethics training program and adheres to high ethical standards. Various professional bodies, educational institutions, or organizations specializing in ethics training can offer this certification.
To make ethics training fun, you can incorporate interactive elements such as games, quizzes, role-playing, and group discussions. Using real-life scenarios, multimedia content, and guest speakers can also make the training more engaging and relatable.
An ethics program should include a clear code of conduct, training sessions on ethical decision-making, resources for reporting unethical behavior, and regular communication on ethical standards. It should also provide support and guidance for employees facing ethical dilemmas.
Yes, employees should be trained in ethics to ensure they understand and uphold the organization’s ethical standards. Regular ethics training helps create a culture of integrity and accountability within the organization.
Ethics training should take place regularly, at least once a year, to keep ethical standards top of mind and address any new challenges or updates in regulations. Ongoing training can also be provided through refresher courses and continuous learning opportunities.
Ethics can be taught in the workplace through formal training programs, workshops, and e-learning modules. Additionally, incorporating ethical discussions into team meetings, providing resources like ethical guidelines and handbooks, and leading by example are effective ways to teach ethics.
To make ethics interesting, use real-life examples, storytelling, and case studies that employees can relate to. Encourage interactive participation, debates, and discussions to make the learning process dynamic and engaging. Integrating technology, such as interactive apps and virtual scenarios, can also enhance interest and engagement.
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) is a federal law that established comprehensive auditing and financial regulations for public companies to enhance corporate responsibility, improve financial disclosures, and combat accounting fraud. Sarbanes-Oxley was enacted in response to fraudulent financial practices and accounting scandals involving U.S. businesses, such as Enron.
Many provisions also apply to privately held companies, such as the willful destruction of evidence to impede a federal investigation.
Included in Section 406 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 was the SOX Code of Ethics, in which public companies must disclose the fundamental values by which they operate. Corporate officers and executives of publicly held companies are now required to abide by the SOX Code of Ethics, which covers conflicts of interest, honest and ethical conduct, disclosure of information, compliance, reporting, confidentiality, retaliation, and other key ethical areas, such as the establishment of a code of ethics. Our Ethics training course for supervisors covers the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and gives context to the importance of workplace ethics.
For a full listing of laws that govern the Securities industry, click here.
Several national associations within the USA require ethics training for their members. Here are some examples:
- American Bar Association (ABA) – The ABA requires its members to complete a minimum of 1 hour of ethics training yearly as part of their continuing legal education (CLE) requirements.
- National Association of Social Workers (NASW) – NASW requires its members to complete at least 20 hours of continuing education (CE) every two years, including at least 3 hours of ethics education.
- National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) – NSPE requires its members to adhere to a code of ethics and provides training and resources to help engineers meet these ethical standards.
- National Association of Realtors (NAR) – NAR requires its members to complete a mandatory Code of Ethics training every three years.
- American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) – AICPA requires its members to complete at least 2 hours of ethics training every three years as part of their CPE (continuing professional education) requirements.
Note that this is not an exhaustive list, and other national associations may require ethics training for their members.
Some potential areas to watch for legal updates related to ethics training in 2023 include the following:
- Data privacy and cybersecurity – With increasing concerns about data breaches and privacy violations, there may be updates to laws and regulations related to data privacy and cybersecurity, which could impact the ethical obligations of professionals who handle sensitive data.
- Workplace harassment and discrimination – In the wake of the #MeToo movement and other high-profile cases of workplace harassment and discrimination, there may be updates to laws and regulations related to workplace harassment and discrimination, which could impact professionals’ ethical obligations in a variety of industries.
- Environmental sustainability – With growing concerns about climate change and the impact of human activities on the environment, there may be updates to laws and regulations related to environmental sustainability, which could impact the ethical obligations of professionals in industries such as energy, manufacturing, and construction.
It is essential for professionals to keep an eye on legal updates related to their specific industry and to seek out appropriate ethics training to ensure that they are meeting their ethical obligations.
Links:
https://www.congress.gov/bill/107th-congress/house-bill/3763
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1190935/000119312517089955/d339590dex99r3.htm
https://www.sec.gov/answers/about-lawsshtml.html#sox2002
2023 DOJ Ethics Training Compliance Update Information:
https://www.gibsondunn.com/doj-updates-its-guidance-on-corporate-compliance-programs/
Delivery Methods:
