Can Your HR Teams Keep Up with Changing Ethics?

Your human resources teams play a pivotal role in managing the ethics guidelines within your organization. And you also know one of the ongoing challenges HR departments struggle with involves keeping up to date with the very latest in ethics and best practices. Because the rules continuously change, how well are your HR teams keeping up with the ever-shifting dynamics? These suggestions can be helpful in your efforts.

Establishing Your Code of Ethics

When you first establish your company’s codes of ethics, you’ll be firm about implementing and enforcing them. But your HR teams also want you to be flexible with the language and terms in a way that allows them to make adjustments based on changing ethics policy requirements. So, while it’s important to stick by your strict ethics policies, remember that in today’s ever-changing work environments, there should also be room to grow and improve those ethics definitions and guidelines.

Prioritizing Professional Development

Your HR teams will want to keep a finger on the pulse of the law, including workforce management regulations ongoing. And to ensure everyone in a human resources position has the tools and resources needed to stay on top of new requirements, you can arm them with ample opportunities to improve professional development. The better these individuals can be in their respective roles, the more in-tune your ethics policies and oversight will be. From ethics training, certifications, and support, make sure your HR teams have everything they need to be successful in managing your company’s ethics efforts.

Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity

Today’s businesses are looking to improve a few key areas of ethics, including inclusion, diversity, and equity in the workplace. These concepts can be challenging for human resources staff who may not have a clear understanding of definitions and ideal policy benchmarks. Talk with your teams about their steps to implement transparent ethics policies regarding inclusion, diversity, and equity across all company segments. These policies will apply to onboarding and hiring, project management, employee workloads, company culture, and growth and promotion. Make sure HR teams have what they need to continuously improve ethics policies across all of these company departments and scenarios.

Why You Need an Ethics Hotline More Than Ever

If you’re not clear about how well your HR teams can keep up with the ever-changing ethics shifts, an ethics hotline can be the best solution. With a hotline in place, available to all employees, contractors, vendors, and visitors, you’ll have a dedicated and anonymous channel for violations reporting. And as people call in with concerns, your HR teams will always have a front-line view of potential pitfalls your company may have regarding ethics. Additionally, they’ll always know what areas may need improvement before significant violations become detrimental or costly oversights.

Talk with your company’s human resources teams and ask them how they’re feeling about managing and defining ethics policies. If they need additional support, consider implementing the ethics hotline. Ethical Advocate can be your guide for developing your ethics policies and hotline to ensure your company remains current with requirements in today’s workplace.