IDEA: Never ask employees to break laws or tell lies for the company.

Most people would agree with this but do not think about the small things some managers might do to avoid problems.  Upper management must dictate this policy openly and in writing and repeat it often to assure its employees.

Here are some examples:

• Do not ask employees to lie on forms (sales taxes, income taxes, cash sales, workers’ comp injuries, wages not taxed) to be sent to governmental agencies.
• Do not ask employees to falsify company records in any way (pay employees under the table, hide earnings from taxation, overstate or misrepresent taxable earnings, lie to auditors or banks),
• Do not request your employees to lie to customers or deceive them (deny product problems, short shipments, pricing errors, etc.).
• Do not ask employees to speed in company vehicles,
• Do not ask employees to drive unregistered company vehicles (trucks, trailers, vans, delivery units),
• Do not ask employees to drive without insurance (certificates should be in the glove boxes of every vehicle),
• Do not ask employees to operate broken equipment (where is maintenance?),
• Do not ask employees to hide injuries,
• Do not ask employees to misreport injuries sustained at work for worker’s compensation purposes,
• Do not ask your employees to do anything that you (as an ethical employer) would not do yourself.

State these policies upfront and for everyone to see and you will establish yourself as a reputable employer