Ethics are the guiding principles – or lack thereof – that determine how people conduct themselves in every

aspect of their lives, including the workplace. There is increasing pressure on business leaders and human
resource departments to ensure that ethics and behavior at the workplace are treated seriously.

Honest, hardworking employees who are driven by principles of decency and fairness increase overall
morale, improve your company’s reputation and help ensure long-term success. If I am the owner of a small
business, I will try to ensure that ethical business practices are being followed by my employees by:

Establish Company Behavioral Policies

One of the most effective means of establishing the proper ethics and behavior at my workplace is specifying
what is acceptable and what isn’t acceptable among my employees. This must begin at the hiring stage and
continue through each step that an employee takes in the hierarchy of my business. Specifying policies
means writing them down in a manual that summarizes expected conduct while also detailing job
descriptions.

Stress the Importance of Integrity

Integrity is all about behavior that is honest and forthright. Employees who have integrity are transparent in
their actions and willing to do the right thing, even if it means personal sacrifice.

I can create an environment of integrity at the hiring stage, ensuring that my human resources department
discusses this principle during employee interviews.

Give Employees a System to Report Unethical Behavior

It’s important to give employees a means through which they can alert business owners about unethical
behavior at the workplace. Business owners are often the last people to know that some members of their
staff are behaving in ways that could negatively impact the long-term reputation of their companies. This is
less likely to happen if I have a strong system in place that gives employees a means to report unethical
behavior.

Define the Consequences of Unethical Conduct

Employees who violate the ethics rules I have established for my business must face consequences for their
actions. This can range from a verbal warning, written reprimand, suspension or even termination for
violations such as repeated sexual harassment, theft, physical abuse and embezzlement.

Finally, I believe that, these steps will ensure ethical business practices to my employees.