Product Overview

Summary: This Ethics and Conduct Standard Operating Procedure sets clear, practical expectations for professional behaviour across your organisation. It translates Australian legal and ethical obligations into everyday actions, helping leaders and workers make sound decisions, prevent misconduct, and maintain a respectful, compliant workplace culture.

This Ethics and Conduct Standard Operating Procedure provides a clear, structured framework for how people are expected to behave at work, on-site, remotely and when representing the organisation in the Australian context. It turns broad concepts such as integrity, respect, confidentiality and professionalism into specific, observable standards of conduct that can be consistently communicated, trained and enforced. The SOP is written to align with contemporary Australian employment and WHS expectations, including psychological health, anti-bullying and anti-discrimination obligations.

Many organisations experience issues like inappropriate behaviour, conflicts of interest, misuse of company resources, or poor handling of confidential information, but lack a practical, step‑by‑step document that managers and workers can actually use. This SOP fills that gap. It outlines expectations, examples of acceptable and unacceptable conduct, reporting pathways, and a fair, transparent response process when concerns are raised. By implementing this procedure, businesses can reduce the risk of grievances, reputational damage and legal exposure, while building a culture where workers feel safe to speak up and understand exactly what “doing the right thing” looks like in their day‑to‑day work.

Key Benefits

• Clarify behavioural expectations so all workers understand what constitutes ethical and professional conduct in your organisation.
• Reduce the risk of bullying, harassment, discrimination and other misconduct that can lead to legal claims and reputational damage.
• Support compliance with Australian employment and WHS obligations, including psychosocial risk management and fair treatment requirements.
• Strengthen organisational culture by embedding shared values, respectful communication and accountability into daily operations.
• Provide managers with a consistent, defensible process for responding to conduct concerns, from early intervention through to formal escalation.

Who is this for?

• Directors and Business Owners
• Chief Executive Officers
• HR Managers and People & Culture Leaders
• WHS Managers and Advisors
• Line Managers and Supervisors
• Team Leaders
• Office and Site Administrators
• Professional and Technical Staff
• Workers in Customer-Facing Roles
• Contractor and Labour-Hire Coordinators

Included Sections

• 1.0 Purpose, Scope and Objectives
• 2.0 Definitions and Key Concepts (Ethics, Conduct, Conflict of Interest, Misconduct)
• 3.0 Roles and Responsibilities (Directors, Managers, Workers, Contractors)
• 4.0 Core Ethical Principles and Organisational Values
• 5.0 Expected Standards of Behaviour (On-site, Off-site and Online)
• 6.0 Respectful Workplace and Professional Communication
• 7.0 Bullying, Harassment, Discrimination and Sexual Harassment Prohibitions
• 8.0 Managing Psychosocial Risks Linked to Conduct and Behaviour
• 9.0 Conflicts of Interest, Gifts, Benefits and Hospitality
• 10.0 Confidentiality, Privacy and Use of Company Information
• 11.0 Use of Company Property, Systems and Social Media
• 12.0 Conduct in Client, Public and Community Interactions
• 13.0 Reporting Concerns, Incidents and Suspected Misconduct
• 14.0 Protections for Workers Who Speak Up (Whistleblowing and Victimisation Protections)
• 15.0 Initial Response, Informal Resolution and Early Intervention
• 16.0 Formal Investigation and Escalation Pathways
• 17.0 Consequences for Breaches and Corrective Actions
• 18.0 Training, Communication and Induction Requirements
• 19.0 Recordkeeping, Confidentiality and Documentation
• 20.0 Monitoring, Review and Continuous Improvement of the SOP

Legislation & References

• Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth)
• Fair Work Regulations 2009 (Cth)
• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth model) and equivalent state and territory WHS Acts
• Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 (Cth model) and equivalent state and territory WHS Regulations
• Safe Work Australia – Model Code of Practice: Managing psychosocial hazards at work
• Australian Human Rights Commission – Guidelines on workplace discrimination, harassment and bullying
• AS ISO 37001: Anti-bribery management systems (as guidance for integrity and anti-corruption controls)
• AS ISO 19600 / ISO 37301: Compliance management systems – Guidelines (as guidance for governance and compliance frameworks)