Target includes a page in its Code of Ethics that encourages employees to report ethical concerns. Target assures employees that retaliation for reporting ethical concerns will not be tolerated. Target also describes what happens when you report a problem. Employees who create reports remain confidential and an investigation has been completed. If the complaint is well-founded, appropriate action will be taken. The second ethical safeguard in the Target Code of Ethics is a question and answer section for each Code topic. Each ethical topic is explained in detail on 1-2 pages. Each problem has a scenario, a question and contains the correct answer for each problem. Based on the scenario, employees can understand how they can approach the topic in real-life situations.
Employees can report an ethical concern to Target in a variety of ways. You can talk to your manager or HR partner. You can visit www.TargetIntegrityHotline.com call the Integrity Helpline anonymously. For the United States: 1-800-541-6838, India: 000-800-100-1657, Other non-U.S. countries Locations: Make a U.S. pickup call at: 1-470-219-7116. Employees may email concerns or potential violations of the Code of Ethics to ethics@target.com. Finally, Target employees may also submit their concerns in writing to Corporate Compliance & Ethics, Target Corporation, 33 South 6th Street, Minneapolis, MN, 55402. Target makes it much easier to report ethical concerns, ask a question, or report a violation by offering so many options.
The greatest impact that U.S. criminal codes have had on organizations has been that they have forced them to reconsider their ethical responsibilities. Organizations have created codes of ethics and programs to ensure compliance. They have also created ethics officer positions to ensure that they meet the standards set out in the guidelines. After the guidelines were published, companies realized that they could now be held accountable for the unethical actions of a single employee. As a result, they place greater emphasis on employee training and ethical behaviour. This includes checks and balances to ensure that no employee has too much power or influence over a process or procedure. There are many privacy laws in the regulations, but there is not just one at the federal level.
Violations of this law vary, and each state has jurisdiction to deal with violations of this law. In Indiana, where I live, if Target violates this law, it would have to notify any data owner and could face civil penalties of up to $5,000 per share, as well as applicable attorneys` fees. Target should be familiar with any law of the state in which they do business to ensure compliance. The implementation of corporate responsibility in the United States The 1991 Sentencing Guidelines gave companies a sense of urgency to ensure they complied with all policies, procedures, and laws. It has also prompted many companies to set up their own ethics program that would help establish internal policies and guidelines. By following these policies and guidelines, businesses would not have to worry about not complying. Your Centre of Excellence has done an excellent job covering the importance of compliance and legal mandates. After reviewing the WCC, each employee must have a clear understanding of their right to report possible violations to the relevant authorities. Target has ensured that certain topics are covered and can easily be identified as illegal, just to avoid any potential confusion.
An example would be the section on harassment in the workplace. They made sure to provide examples of what might be considered forms of harassment, including sexual jokes, racial slurs, and/or sharing inappropriate material. The Target Code of Ethics helps build an ethical culture. The document is concise, provides a foundation for their CSR, understands leadership, covers applicable laws, provides scenarios for real-life situations, and also provides resources for employees. This document can serve as a guide for stakeholders. Employees can use this document as a reference to learn how to act with integrity when representing Target. Policies, procedures and rules can be derived from this document that guides operations. Target has created two ethical safeguards and incorporated them into its Code of Ethics.
Ethical safeguards provide employees with tools to make ethical decisions in accordance with the company`s code of ethics. Blowing the hose is sometimes the right thing to do, but always very difficult. If you`re starting to think things are serious enough to report, there are six things you should consider before blowing the whistle. The first thing to consider is how much do you think about wrongdoing? Is it a problem that crosses the line and keeps you up at night? Is it illegal or grossly immoral? The second thing you should consider is why you are concerned about the problem. Is it more than personal to you? Is it detrimental to the common good or to the organization as a whole? Third, is there a way to influence leaders or the organization to make a different decision? Does the person making the decision have absolute power or can you use your influence to change the order? The fourth thing to consider is the pros and cons or risks and benefits. Make a list of who they are and who they influence. Think about your reputation in the organization and your professional network, what would be the effect? The fifth thing that should influence your decision is timing.