Labrador’s recent analysis of S&P 250 company codes of conduct revealed these and other key takeaways that can inform others’ practices:
Location and format
- Nearly all companies post their codes on the company’s IR pages in a pdf format. A healthy minority of companies provide links to other policies on the same landing page.
- Nearly two-thirds of codes are provided in an interactive format with links to additional content, e.g., video, intranet.
- More than 80% provide code translations in three or more languages (16 additional languages, on average), in addition to English.
Contents
- More than 80% of codes include a table of contents.
- Nearly 80% of codes include a letter signed by the CEO.
- Codes average 33 pages and typically cover at least seven of the following topics:
- Nearly all codes include a provision on code violations and 70% include a phone number or email to anonymously report concerns.
- 80% of codes reference, and more than 40% provide links to, one or more other company policies.
- The majority of codes provide at least three practical case studies or examples, often in a Q&A format. Nearly one-quarter provide a decision-making tree.
The report includes helpful tips to make codes more effective.
Access additional resources on our Compliance & Ethics page.
This post first appeared in the weekly Society Alert!