Standards of Conduct and Work Ethics

Purpose

To provide guidelines on standards of conduct and work ethics for employees to follow in the performance of their job duties.

Policy

Aquamarine Personalised Home Care is committed to the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct. All employees shall adhere to the Company’s policies and procedures relative to their job functions and shall comply with legal and regulatory requirements. Any breaches of this policy may be subject to disciplinary action and/or termination, depending on the severity of the incident.

Definitions

Standards of Conduct

Standards of conduct are an organisation's formal guidelines for ethical behavior.

Work Ethics

Work ethics are a moral code, which guides the members of a profession in the proper conduct of their duties and obligations. It deals with behavior that is right or wrong and involves applying judgment and making choices about what to do and what not to do. It reflects how employees conduct themselves on the job site and includes:

• their appearance;
• what they say;
• how they behave;
• how they treat others; and,
• how they work with others.

Procedures

Employees shall, at all times, conduct themselves in a professional manner and comply with this policy by:

1. conducting themselves in a manner that does not have a negative impact on the Company;
2. only relaying/distributing information that is accurate, when representing the Company;
3. not promising care/services, which the Company doesn’t provide;
4. not borrowing money from clients/families or lending money to them;
5. not trading or purchasing items from clients/families;
6. not accepting gifts from clients/families except in special circumstances and with express authorisation from the Aquamarine Office.
7. not giving gifts to clients/families without first obtaining authorization from Aquamarine Office
8. not using the Company’s property for personal benefit without authorization;
9. displaying appropriate dress, grooming, hygiene and etiquette;
10. having a good and positive attitude;
11. being pleasant on the job site;
12. displaying appropriate verbal and non verbal skills;
13. keeping moodiness, bad temper and unhappiness out of their demeanor
14. reporting to work on time
15. working the designated hours and seeking additional tasks if their assigned work is completed sooner than predicted;
16. completing tasks in the expected timeframe, combining tasks for greatest effectiveness and avoiding idle time
17. contacting the Aquamarine Office as quickly as possible, if they need to leave the job site in the event of an emergency;
18. keeping in touch with the office to confirm schedules and to receive reports/direction;
19. completing any and all paperwork correctly and in a timely manner;
20. ensuring their quality of work is of a high standard and not expecting anything but the best from themselves
21. being considerate to clients, families, friends, colleagues and professionals
22. displaying loyalty, honesty, trustworthiness, dependability, reliability and initiative
23. respecting the rights of others
24. being a cooperative and participative team member
25. dealing appropriately with diversity and treating everyone with respect
26. looking at things from another’s perspective and being empathetic toward their thoughts and feelings
27. avoiding criticizing or denouncing others because their beliefs and values may differ
28. conforming to all safety regulations for their own and other’s protection;
29. keeping information confidential and not gossiping about the affairs of others
30. being polite and courteous to clients, families, friends, colleagues and professionals;
31. realizing and admitting to errors and learning from the experience(s) to avoid making the same mistake(s) again.
32. being truthful and accurate about care given, clients’ progress, and events that occurred or did not occur
33. avoiding complaining and negativity;
34. complimenting others work and participating actively in the care team’s endeavor;
35. immediately reporting to the Aquamarine Office any incidents wherein they observe another employee treating a client in a manner that is:
    • not consistent with the Company’s standards of conduct and ethical behavior;
    • and/or,
    • physically and/or verbally abusive.
36. when working with clients/families,
    • not giving them their home phone numbers;
    • not giving personal opinions about them;
    • not offering medical advice;
    • not smoking in their homes;
    • not using their telephone except in cases of emergency or to call the office;
    • not taking anyone, including pets, into their homes without first obtaining consent from them and from the Aquamarine Office;
    • not safeguarding a client’s valuables;
    • not using a client’s vehicle or other property for personal reasons;
    • not consuming alcohol or using medication/drugs except for a medical reason(s) in their homes;
    • not becoming an appointee or having legal involvement with the client/family’s property;
    • not becoming the beneficiary of a client’s will
    • not becoming a witness or an executor of a client’s will
    • not having Power of Attorney for the client

Guidelines

1. Work ethics shall reflect the values of the Company.
2. All personnel/clients/families must clearly understand the standards of conduct and work ethics, their importance to the community and their relationship to the delivery of services.
3. Any complaints of violations of this policy shall be investigated. Proceedings shall be documented and corrective actions shall immediately be undertaken.
4. All breaches of this policy and subsequent actions taken shall be documented in the individual employee’s personnel file.
5. Violations to the Standards of Conduct and Work Ethics Policy shall be reported to the Manager to maintain quality improvement.