Code of Conduct Policy
Purpose
The Future Leadership Pty Ltd and its controlled entities (Future Leadership) Code of Conduct describes our standards in performing our duties and in representing our firm. The guiding principle is to use good judgment in all situations.
Scope
Team members and associates are contractually obliged to follow our Code of Conduct. At Future Leadership we are driven by a balanced use of our values, failure to comply with this Code will be treated very seriously and may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment or referral to an agency if there is a contravention of law or legislation.
Legal compliance
It is expected that all team members will have a working knowledge of the laws, regulations and policies which apply to them in their role at Future Leadership and to seek training or clarification from our Partners where required. Future Leadership is committed to providing ongoing professional development in this area. Team members and associates are always required to comply with applicable laws, regulations, and Future Leadership policies.
Confidentiality
Team members and associates must ensure confidential information is held in confidence. Information relating to Future Leadership, its clients, candidates, participants, and suppliers is not to be disclosed. Disclosure of any such confidential information should only be made where it is appropriately authorised or required by law or client contract, or where the information is already in the public domain. This obligation continues after team members have left Future Leadership in line with employment or associate agreement conditions.
Privacy & information security
Our Information Security Policy has been established to ensure the data we collect and store in the normal course of business is protected from threats, unauthorised access or unintentional disclosure, loss, or corruption. Please refer to this policy in terms of your obligations, including access to premises, information systems and other information assets of Future Leadership (including those licenced from third parties).
In the normal course of business, team members will collect and access data relating to our third-party relationships. Our Privacy Policy governs the collection, storage, access, use, retention, and disclosure of such data. Please refer to this policy in terms of how you are required to manage such data to ensure there is no breach of our privacy obligations. If there is any clarification required, contact the Privacy Officer on [email protected].
Ethical behaviour
Team members and associates will observe high standards of honesty, integrity, ethical and responsible behaviours, when dealing with our firm’s finances, products, services, clients, candidates, partnerships, and reputation. Team members and associates are always expected to act with professionalism in the workplace.
Standards under registrations and memberships
In addition to ethical behaviour, individuals and the firm are bound by the registrations and members to which they belong. For instance, Organisational Psychologists are accredited by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (APHRA) and the firm is a member of the Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC).
Values
Our values represent the way we work every day. Care, Collaborate, Solve and Impact are the key values that drive our business. All team members are accountable for living these values and bringing our purpose to life – to create a world of difference. Everyone has an equal right to use their voice in our workplace, and we encourage open communication amongst all team members, senior leadership, and other stakeholders.
Respect
At Future Leadership, respect for colleagues and third parties and contribution to an inclusive culture is paramount to our values. We celebrate and learn from different perspectives and embrace the value of collective ideas.
Discriminatory behaviour, harassment or victimisation is not tolerated, including consensual interactions in the workplace where a personal or intimate relationship exists. Our team upholds equal opportunity policy in all aspects of their work, from recruitment and performance evaluation to interpersonal relations.
Our Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), Discrimination and Harassment Policy provides further guidance on our positive duty to maintaining an inclusive culture.
Health, safety, and wellbeing
Future Leadership will provide a safe and healthy work environment and encourages the wellbeing of team members, associates, visitors, and the public. This is achieved by integrating health, safety and wellbeing into the firm’s operations and activities, continuous improvement and requiring leadership in health, safety, and wellbeing. The prevention of both physical and psychological injury and illnesses is the focus of the health and safety system. Our Workplace Health & Safety Management System provides further guidance in how you can ensure we maintain a safe and healthy work environment for all.
Conflicts of interest
A conflict of interest refers to any case where a team member’s personal interest might conflict with the interest of Future Leadership, including financial interests in another businesses and relationships of a personal nature with external stakeholders and other team members. This may impact a team member’s judgement and commitment to the firm, and by extension to the realisation of its goals.
It is important that if you have any actual, perceived, or potential conflicts of interest, they are identified, disclosed to a Partner, and effectively managed, including avoiding conflicts where possible. The actual, perceived, or potential conflict will be recorded on the company conflicts of interests register.
Where an actual, perceived, or potential conflict of interest exists within a work team or in a chain of command, the supervisor or manager must remove themselves from any conversation relevant to the conflict or any performance discussions, and it is to be escalated to the next person in the chain of command.
Gifts and entertainment
We actively discourage team members from giving or accepting gifts from external parties. Any gifts over the value of $300 will be disclosed and recorded in the gift register.
Entertainment and hospitality should be kept to reasonable levels and be relevant to business activity being undertaken. Team members and associates will not offer or accept any hospitality, payment, or gift in order to influence or be seen to influence commercial decisions.
Our Expense Claim Policy provides further guidance on appropriate gifts and entertainment.
Responsible use of resources
All team members are required to treat the firm’s property, whether material or intangible, with respect and care. This includes trademarks, copyright, and other intellectual and physical property (information, reports etc). The firm’s property is intended to enable team members to complete their work duties efficiently and should only be used for legitimate business purposes, with care taken to protect it from any kind of damage or loss.
Personal appearance
All team members are welcome to reflect professionalism, cultural, religious and personality-based preferences in their style of dressing. We ask that team members remember their appearance can create a positive or negative impression that reflects on our firm and culture. Team members and associates should note that our professionalism is critical when representing our firm in front of clients, visitors, or other parties.
Work duties and authority
Team members and associates aspire to fulfil their work duties with the utmost integrity and respect towards clients, stakeholders, and the greater community. Supervisors and managers utilise their authority alongside insight and empathy, considering competence and workload when delegating duties to team members. Likewise, team members respect the leadership team and invest their highest skills in their work in a timely manner. With a commitment to lifelong learning, the firm encourages formal and informal learning and mentoring for the entire team.
Work breaks
Team members and associates are encouraged to take breaks from work at regular intervals to de-stress and recharge. We recognise that rest intervals are important in enabling team members to bring fresh perspectives on challenging projects and allow creativity, non-linear problem solving and innovation to flow.
Speak out
Compliance with our Code of Conduct is critical to maintaining the ethical and professional standards that we wish to be known for. If you are unsure about any aspects, have a question or need clarification please speak out. You can raise any issue with your manager or a Partner of the firm.
We prioritise that everyone should feel safe and without any fear of reprisal when speaking out. As such Future Leaderships’ Whistleblower Policy is in place to guide you in how to raise a concern, report an incident or make a complaint. This can be done anonymously if you wish. Our policy provides strict protection for Whistleblowers and
provides a clear path for matters to be dealt with. Any concerns should be directed to [email protected], which is managed by our external Legal Counsel.
Ethical marketing
Led by the Marketing team, we are committed to providing the highest levels of ethics in data stewardship and marketing in line with current and evolving marketing laws and guidelines. We strive to ensure honesty, accuracy, relevancy, and transparency in all materials, aiming to provide true value exchange to diverse stakeholders.
In line with our Privacy Policy, we adhere to appropriate practices in the creation and communication of all materials. We will respond to any inquiries and complaints in a constructive and timely way, with best practices in place to honour stakeholder requests not to have personally identifiable data used for marketing. Our third-party marketing supply chain is vetted to preference good corporate citizens as partners.
Social media
Social media is a valuable tool for promoting individuals and organisations and engaging with the community. Future Leadership acknowledges the right of team members and associates to maintain their own social media accounts and the right to express their own views and opinions. We ask that you be mindful of what you post and the intended or unintended consequences on associates, clients, candidates, participants, suppliers, and the community. Any post should be made as you an individual and should not appear to represent our firm unless considerately aligned and designed to promote Future Leadership activities.
Some team members do represent our firm by handling corporate social media accounts or speak on our firm’s behalf. When you are responsible for a corporate social media account, we expect you to act carefully, withhold personal bias, and with a responsibly to protect Future Leadership’s image and reputation by always representing the firm’s perspective, and do so in accordance with this Code of Conduct, the Privacy Policy, and the information protection policy.
Making representations on behalf of the firm
Team members and associates should only make representations on behalf of the firm that have been specifically delegated to them by the Board or Managing Director, including but not limited to representing themselves in a capacity that is different to their designated position within the company, entering into contractual agreements outside of their delegated authority, making public comments on social media platforms and to the media, providing work references for previous team members (other than acting as a personal character reference).
