Business Ethics

Business Ethics

I. A member shall have full regard to the public interest in fulfilling his or her responsibilities to the employer or client.

One shall provide complete safety for the public, throughout the entire construction process.

Public safety is always a huge concern for any construction project. An example that is commonly seen in high rise construction, is the use of protected walkways on a pre existing sidewalks. If an alternate route around the jobsite cannot be provided, an OSHA approved covered walkway may be required to allow use of the walk.

II. A member shall not engage in any deceptive practice, or in any practice which creates an unfair advantage for the member or another.

An employee shall not lie or illegally obtain information to gain an advantage on a co-worker or peer.

One must know that in today's business world, somebody will always try to cause harm to those outperforming them in their own job. Although many companies say they have no employees of this nature, many are blind when it comes to determining the guilty parties. These acts could range from stealing confidential information off one's desk to falsifying documents during any phase of the construction process to enhance one's performance. It is the responsibility of the employer to recognize those that are not abiding by the code and correct the problem.

III. A member shall not maliciously or recklessly injure or attempt to injure, whether directly or indirectly, the professional reputation of others.

An employee shall not engage in any activities that will cause harm to the reputation of competitors or fellow employees.

These acts can range from false statements made about a previous employer to rumors made about certain people in the organization. This is commonly seen when one starts with a new employer in the same industry, after leaving the previous on bad terms. This code also pertains to verbal abuse among employees of an organization.

IV. A member shall ensure that when providing a service which includes advice, such advice shall be fair and unbiased.

An organization shall not provide false recommendations to a client, to obtain additional work or profit throughout the business process.

This unfair advice is commonly seen today among specialty trade contractors. Many clients do not have any basic knowledge or background in the field they are having a service provided for. A common example would be a mechanical contractor recommending a new compressor for a unit knowing all it really needs is re-charging. Although the code clearly states the ethical behaviors, most companies have no regrets in earning additional money due to the lack of knowledge by the client.

V. A member shall not divulge to any person, firm, or company, information of a confidential nature acquired during the course of professional activities.

An employee shall not reveal private information of another organization that does not directly correlate with their company's activities.

The practice of revealing confidential information about one organization to another is becoming rather common in