Code of conduct examples are more useful than a definition, so here are the six sections a small employer's code carries, each written the way the handbook should say it: plain, short, with an example. Respect and harassment. Honesty in records, timekeeping and money. Conflicts of interest and outside work. Confidentiality. Company property and systems. What happens when the line is crossed. The employee handbook template on this site prints the code inside the handbook from your policies, free and without an account.
Respect, and honesty
We treat colleagues and customers with respect; harassment of any kind is not tolerated and is reported to the named person. We record our hours, our expenses and our work honestly; a false record is a serious matter under this code. Two paragraphs, each with the consequence implied and the process named.
Conflicts and confidentiality
Outside work and interests that could conflict with the company's are declared to the owner before they start. Customer and company information is confidential during and after employment, and is not taken, copied or discussed outside the work.
Property, systems, and the line
Company vehicles, tools, accounts and email are for the company's work, with any personal use as the policy states; social media in the company's name is the company's voice. When the code is breached, the process in the handbook applies, from a written warning to termination depending on the seriousness.
Why plain wording
The code is read at hire and cited in write-ups; a code written as a legal instrument is neither read nor understood. HeadcountDesk Pro keeps the code version with each acknowledgment and each write-up that cites it. From the vendors' own pricing pages, cited below: Homebase lists its Essentials plan at $30 per location per month billed monthly or $24 billed annually, with unlimited employees, and a Basic plan at $0 for one location with up to 10 employees; BambooHR starts at $10 per employee per month for Core and $17 for Pro; Deputy's Core plan is $6.50 per user per month. HeadcountDesk Pro is $24 per month per location.
Questions people ask about code of conduct examples
Should the examples name real incidents?
Anonymised patterns, yes; named incidents, no.
How long should each section be?
A paragraph; the whole code fits in a few pages of the handbook.
Is the template free?
Yes, without an account.