Policies: Improving Ethical Compliance in the Enterprise

Wanting to further one’s career is a healthy, common desire in a capitalistic economy. However, the ability to further these odds should never be so minimal that employees engage in a Hunger Games approach to advancement, or partake in illegal activities to prove greater results. Ambitious employees are gems, and having an entire team made up of them should be a strength, not a weakness.

Establishing a fair system for advancement such as quarterly or annual reviews is an approach that keeps employees motivated, but can also increase pressure before deadlines. By adding ethical standards to reviews, and ensuring employees are treated fairly for their actions slowly deters your employees from a “Do Whatever It Takes” attitude, to transition to a more creative, hardworking and honest approach.

There are 168 hours per week. Removing forty-five hours for the work week, plus an average thirty minute commute, and you’re left 32 hours for a weekend, and only 6 hours per weekday to yourself (Let’s leave out how much time it might take to actually get ready for work and overtime spent), that is, if you get the recommended 8 hours of sleep.

Read More About Policy Management Best Practices

When spending the majority of your life dedicated to your work, a miserable environment may cause otherwise happy people to do horrifyingly inappropriate things. Other factors including the items mentioned above, can increase tension among employees and add unnecessary stress, discomfort, and discouragement.

Unfortunately, social issues cause emotional discomfort, and each individual’s emotional needs are more complex than concrete problems with straightforward solutions. Simply adding œmotivational posters around every office will not make a positive environment.

So how do you enforce positive environment and morale? One company uses a 10 foot rule: If you come within 10 feet of another employee, you are required to say hello to them. This sort of thing can often be forgotten, causing recipients of the forgotten rule to feel jilted; Feeling as if they weren’t good enough to receive even the base requirement” or if only receiving the standard œhello, it sure wouldn’t feel authentic! Social rules imply a social problem, and if an issue that discounts different personalities addressed, it causes unnecessary tension.

Social behavior should be influenced by attitude, which stems from feeling a part of a team, having sufficient resources, and being able to collaborate among team members freely and supportively. Team building workshops are a great place to start, along with morale boosting activities, and free flowing compliments.

There are no reasons for unethical behavior among teammates who have everything they need to successfully complete their work, and can do so in a positive way.

We hear this most often, although it is fifth among the broader study. Is that because it is the easiest to cope with? Probably. There are software programs that ensure your employees understand and are certified in the policies and procedures that apply to them. (Too bad there’s not a software for improving toxic competition!)

Proper training and understanding ethical policies, and their importance, stems from the origination of the policies and procedures process.

A comprehensive renovation of your policies and procedures processes should include ensuring that each employee receives policies and procedures that apply to their management level, their department, and their role, as well as the general policies that every employee under a company should follow.

In enterprises, this could mean tens of thousands of folders housing different policies. Considering the distinct rules that apply to each employee and the differences in roles, levels, and departments, using a program that automatically groups and permissions these requirements should be a top priority. ConvergePoint’s policy management software actually accesses the Active Directory, so there are no additional administrative duties required when roles change.

Next Step: Learn more about ensuring compliance through effective policy management and employee training on policies.

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