HR Ethics Codes: Finding Ethical Answers to Difficult Questions

01-29-2025 1:00 PM EST Are human resources professionals bound by a code of ethics? Human resources is not a licensed or regulated profession. Several other professions, by comparison, law, medicine, social work, nursing, even barbering/cosmetology, etc., require state licensure, are regulated, and have ethics codes that are included as part of state law. There is oversight, aggressive enforcement, and serious consequences for violations. HR is not one of these professions. HR does, however, have the SHRM Code of Ethics which it may choose to follow, but this does not include any type of legal enforcement mechanism. Why is it important that human resources professionals follow an ethical code of conduct? The HR Ethics Code is not the only legal concern. Is this likely to reduce HR's risk of being sued by employees or the increasing personal liability for your manager and you? Is the SHRM Code of Ethics the ethical standard that HR should follow? Or is there a higher duty? During this p