Ethics means doing what is right, no matter what the law says. It is also a conscious decision that is a personal decision. It is quite possible to be ethical without being compliant. Ethics is proactive, not reactive like compliance. Our personal value system, including our character, values and core principles, guides us when we make decisions. Most people feel a sense of deep personal satisfaction when they make ethical actions and decisions. It is important to distinguish between the terms « ethical » and « compliance ». Yes, they are related, but they are not the same. Take a look at these definitions of ethics and compliance for clarity. The next step is to communicate your past ethics and compliance efforts to your employees. You can approach this in a variety of ways, from one-on-one and small group meetings to mass email distributions and conference calls. Regardless of your communication methods, the goal is to communicate your ethics policies in a clear and consistent manner, and to ensure that employees understand how these policies affect their work.

Does one area hold us to higher standards than the other? « Yes. I believe that ethics require us to meet higher standards. Compliance should be clearly defined in company codes of conduct and policies. Acting ethically requires courage. Ethical individuals often find themselves as a party of one. Morrison, Post Holdings TransDigm is fully transparent about its strategy of acquiring exclusive aircraft parts suppliers capable of ensuring long-term demand for the market and then maximizing profits through price increases and cost reductions. Certainly, some would praise this as a successful business strategy. TransDig investors clearly don`t care: since the OIG request in 2017, the stock has continued to rise 136%. At Brightline Technologies, Inc. We provide our employees and customers with daily briefing notes and inspirational « Compliance & Ethics Focused » quotes to keep an eye on compliance and ethical behavior every day. We will use our social media platforms to let our social contacts know that this is a week to reflect on how they incorporate their own compliance and ethical standards into everyday life.

Brightline will host a Jeopardy-style quiz for its employees at a full staff meeting this Friday, giving employees a chance to win prizes. As a full-service IT service provider that also includes cybersecurity and compliance consulting services, we foster a culture of practice of what we preach, and look forward to celebrating with our employees and customers. Just because you write a code of ethics, set expectations for it, and communicate it to employees doesn`t mean they always understand it. That`s where the training component comes in. Some companies use a Chief Ethics Officer or Chief Compliance Officer. Other companies combine the two titles and give the position the title of Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer. Regardless of which company appoints the position, most boards know that ethics and compliance have a significant impact on company culture. Ethical culture can lead to business success or failure. It may be a little more difficult to introduce a robust ethics and compliance program in the workplace to prevent misconduct. « Compliance is a framework for ensuring that a company and its employees comply with the laws and regulations that apply to them and minimize the risk of non-compliance, » said Gerry Zack, CEO of the Society for Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE) and the Health Care Compliance Association (HCAA). « One of the many facets of a compliance program is ethics. » Unlike general ethics guidelines, which can be little more than value statements, compliance-based business ethics come with certain rules, either by law or company policy.

In both cases, workers are required to comply with these rules. Some of these laws, such as securities and stock exchange regulations, apply only to publicly traded companies. Others, such as Occupational Health and Safety Laws apply to both public and private companies. Compliance is not the only category of business ethics. Values-based ethics is another category. They can be compliant without being ethical. We aim for both. We want to do the right thing because that`s the right thing. By doing the right thing and following all the compliance rules, not only are you doing the right thing for your customers and consumers, but you also won`t face some sort of enforcement action that will prevent you from doing what you want to do with your business. If it turns out that banks are not complying with various laws and regulations, they may face penalties. Values The fundamental beliefs we have about what is fair and equitable in our actions and interactions with others.

Another way to characterize values is that they are what an individual considers valuable and important to his life (from « What is the difference between ethics, morality and values? », Frank Navran). Values-based Code of Ethics A set of principles for an organization and its employees based on ideals (such as integrity, reliability and accountability) that guide decision-making and behaviour in the workplace. It`s about complying with the laws and rules that govern your company`s operations, » said Carol Tate, director of ethics and legal compliance at Intel Corporation. Ethical culture The extent to which employees at all levels are committed to doing the right thing and successfully adhering to values and standards. Ethical culture includes ethical leadership (tone at the top); reinforcement of ethical behaviour by the supervisor; and engaging peers to support each other in the right thing. Legal compliance and ethical responsibility go hand in hand. However, these are different principles. The main difference between regulatory compliance and ethical responsibility is that regulatory compliance is mandatory, while ethical responsibility is a choice. A key element of compliance-based ethics is transparency. Do auditors and shareholders have the ability to monitor the company and get clear answers? As a compliance and ethics consultant, I am often asked to clarify the difference. Typically, compliance is « black and white » – you are compliant or not – while ethics is full of « grey areas ». « Hard.

Yes. Compliance requires us to meet high standards because violations can result in fines, but the field of ethics is the highest standard in my opinion. If we behave according to ethical standards – truth, respect and integrity – compliance naturally follows. -Vitelli, Otis There is no doubt that all businesses should have a strong and effective compliance program. Ethics and compliance departments should strive to combine rules with company systems and processes that reduce the risk of employee misconduct. « No. Ethics and compliance standards complement each other, but ethics and compliance are not interchangeable. Ethics should be an integral part of compliance. -Nadai, CIB Group If you regularly address a topic in training, you also explain its crucial importance. Repeated conversations and training on ethics and compliance reinforce the fact that your company takes both seriously. The more you talk about ethics and compliance and the more you learn about the appropriate policies, the more regularly you equip employees with the tools they need to act in specific situations. Assuming you`re more interested in creating a good culture than avoiding a negative culture (bad ethics = bad culture), what are the benefits of ethics that influence company culture? When you emphasize the importance of accountability in your company, you help create a proactive atmosphere of accountability among employees at all levels, from part-time hourly workers to senior executives.

When you foster organizational accountability, you build trust, improve performance, strengthen company culture, increase morale, and increase compliance. « Yes and no, and it depends on the situation. It`s easy to say that ethics require us to live up to higher standards than « just the rules, » but I don`t think that`s always the case. While ethics are tied to personal and corporate values that tend to be more important than laws and regulations, there are times when laws and regulations require more than is ethically prescribed. « -Nordrum, Deluxe Ethical responsibility is the ability to recognize and act on ethical values according to standards in a particular field or context.