Even This Organization Has a Code of Conduct—Do You?
Ready for a game? Let’s play “Secret Code of Conduct.” See if you can guess the name of this organization based on the following excerpt from its code of conduct:
[Organization] maintains a zero tolerance policy for harassment, violent behavior, and sexually offensive behavior or actions. This includes, but is not limited to: harassment toward another individual on the basis of gender, sex, pregnancy, childbirth, religion, creed, race, color, national origin, medical condition, genetic disorder, physical or mental disability, marital status, age or sexual orientation; physical or verbal threats; unwelcome attention; bullying, stalking; use of physical force; behavior that creates a disturbance or is dangerous, including lewd or generally offensive behavior or language; using sexually explicit or offensive language or conduct; and obscene gestures. Anyone found to be behaving in any way that violates this policy, either in person or online, may be removed from the [organization] without refund and may be banned from future [organizational] events.
Hmm. Not so easy, huh? The excerpt above could have been published by virtually any organization in the United States. But it’s a direct quote from a specific group.
Give up?
It’s the Specialty Coffee Association’s Barista Guild of America.
Since Compli’s based in Portland, OR – it’s a group that is near and dear to our heart.
Yes, baristas have their own guild.
And yes, they have a code of conduct.
No, there’s no clause about spelling customers’ names wrong (or making hacky jokes about baristas).
It goes to show that there’s no organization, regardless of size or industry, that can do without a code of conduct. As an aspect of your overall compliance program, your code of conduct serves as a central guide for members or employees of your organization. It communicates your mission, values, expectations, and principles, and it should be treated as a living, practical reference. Data breaches, boundary violations, instances of unfair treatment, and other legal uncertainties and ethical quandaries pop up all the time—even at networking events for coffee professionals.
Don’t discount the power of a code of conduct. If your barista has one, so should you. To learn how to write an effective one, download our Code of Conduct Cheat Sheet.
