A code of conduct is the part of the employee handbook that sets the line: how people treat each other and customers, honesty in records and money, conflicts of interest, confidentiality, the use of company property and systems, and what happens when the line is crossed. It is short, it is acknowledged at hire, and it is the document a write-up refers back to. The employee handbook template on this site prints the section from your policies, free and without an account.
What it covers
Respect and anti-harassment; honesty in timekeeping, expenses and records; conflicts of interest and outside work; confidentiality of customer and company information; use of equipment, email and social media; attendance; safety. Each a paragraph, each with an example.
Why it is in the handbook
A code that lives in a separate document is one nobody signed for. In the handbook it is acknowledged at hire with everything else, and the acknowledgment is the record that the line was known. The template on this site prints it in place.
How it is used
A write-up names the section of the code it relies on; a termination letter refers to it. A code that was never referred to in a write-up has done half its job; one that was is the reason the write-up holds.
Keeping it current
Reviewed when the law, the business or an incident shows a gap, re-issued with a version and a new acknowledgment. HeadcountDesk Pro keeps the versions and the acknowledgments per employee. 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
Is a code of conduct legally required?
Not as such for most small employers; the policies inside it, on harassment for instance, may be. It is the document that makes them enforceable.
How long should it be?
Short enough to be read at hire: a few pages inside the handbook.
Is the template free?
Yes, without an account.