An ethical work environment boosts employee morale and ensures long-term sustenance for the business. To build a strong ethical work culture, management can take the following steps:
- Define a code- Every organization must set a code of ethics which clearly defines the values that the business would not compromise on. Be it honesty, transparency or diligence, outlining what is acceptable and what is not within the organization, serves as a guide for employees to check their behaviour and ensure that it aligns with the values that the organization stands for.
- Seek employee buy-in- Involve employees in the process of drafting workplace ethics policy. Employee involvement will help the management to understand their perspective and take measures to get everyone on the same page. Ethics consultation group can be formed to take up concerns regarding ethical behaviour at workplace and training programs can be conducted to impart the necessary skills.
- Lead by example- Leaders must be aware that their behaviour serves as an example for the team members to follow. Any slack in their behaviour is likely to act as a precedent for employees to take it easy. Ethical behaviour of senior management sets standards of how employees are expected to behave in a particular situation.
- Review and course correction- A feedback mechanism should be instituted for reviewing the ethical standards on a regular basis. Staff members who observe an anomaly in the behaviour of their colleagues should be encouraged to report it. Although whistle-blower policy has been introduced by many organizations, seldom it’s followed. Any suggestions to improve the existing policy should also be rewarded to ensure that the workplace ethics stay relevant for all the employees and the organization.