Employee Code of Conduct Template
Create a customised workplace code of conduct based on your business, employees and workplace rules \u2014 free, with an acknowledgement form, summary, and manager and onboarding checklists included.
What Is an Employee Code of Conduct?
An employee code of conduct is a workplace document that sets clear standards of behaviour for everyone it covers \u2014 employees, managers, contractors and others, depending on the business. It typically covers professional behaviour, unacceptable conduct, company-specific policies, and how concerns get raised and handled.
Create an Employee Code of Conduct for Australia
The generator above builds a document customised to your business rather than a generic template: your industry, workforce, selected risks and company policies all shape the final result, including rules that only apply to businesses handling customer money, personal data, or operating in higher-risk environments.
What Should an Employee Code of Conduct Include?
- Purpose and scope
- Expected standards of behaviour
- Professional workplace conduct
- Unacceptable conduct, including bullying, harassment, sexual harassment and discrimination
- Company-specific policies (confidentiality, IT and AI use, social media, and more)
- Industry-specific risks and rules
- Reporting and complaints procedures
- How breaches are handled
- Employee acknowledgement
Respectful Workplace: Bullying, Harassment and Discrimination
Australia’s workplace framework treats bullying, sexual harassment and discrimination as distinct issues. The Fair Work Ombudsman explains that workplace bullying generally involves repeated unreasonable behaviour that creates a health and safety risk, while sexual harassment can occur as a single incident. Discrimination on the basis of a protected attribute is covered separately \u2014 see the Fair Work Ombudsman’s workplace discrimination fact sheet. A well-structured code of conduct addresses each of these separately rather than treating them as the same issue.
Employee Code of Conduct Template
Use the generator above to build your full customised version, including all 17 sections and the 5 additional documents.
Related Documents
- Setting a new hire’s terms alongside this code? See our Employment Contract Generator.
- Need to issue a formal written warning for a code of conduct breach? See our Written Warning Letter Generator.
- Assessing a new employee’s performance? See our Probation Extension Letter Generator.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an employee code of conduct?
An employee code of conduct is a workplace document that sets out the standards of behaviour expected of employees and others covered by it, including professional conduct, unacceptable behaviour, company-specific rules, and how concerns are reported.
Is a code of conduct legally required in Australia?
There is no single law that requires every business to have a code of conduct, but having one helps set clear expectations and supports how a business responds to issues like bullying, harassment and discrimination, which are addressed under Australia’s workplace framework.
What should an employee code of conduct include?
Common sections include purpose and scope, expected standards, professional and unacceptable conduct, company-specific policies (like confidentiality, IT use, and social media), industry-specific risks, reporting and complaints procedures, how breaches are handled, and an employee acknowledgement section.
What is the difference between bullying and sexual harassment at work?
Sexual harassment can occur as a single incident, while workplace bullying generally involves repeated unreasonable behaviour that creates a health and safety risk. Both are treated seriously and are addressed separately in a well-structured code of conduct.
Can I customise a code of conduct for my industry?
Yes. Businesses that handle customer money, personal data, vulnerable people, or operate in higher-risk environments like construction or healthcare typically need additional rules beyond a generic template. This generator adds relevant rules based on the risks you select.
Methodology and Sources
This page was checked against the Fair Work Ombudsman’s bullying in the workplace page and workplace discrimination fact sheet, current as of the last reviewed date above. OfficeDraft is not a law firm. This generator provides general document drafting assistance and template information, not personalised legal advice, and does not guarantee compliance with the Fair Work Act, anti-discrimination laws, WHS requirements or any other applicable legislation.