Professional conduct and workplace ethics
For all employees, including new starters, with no prerequisites. It covers how to use your organisation's code of conduct, how to recognise harassment and bullying, what to do when you witness it, which reporting route fits a concern, and what retaliation looks like. Legal examples come from US federal law (EEOC guidance) and Great Britain (Acas and GOV.UK guidance on the Equality Act 2010 and whistleblowing). Other countries and US states have their own rules. This course is not legal advice and doesn't make you an HR or legal adviser. Your company's code and policies decide what applies to you.
- Level
- Beginner
- Length
- About 70 minutes
- Contents
- 5 lessons · final exam
- Status
- Published · updated 10 Oct 2026
Skills you'll practise
- Identify which part of a code of conduct applies to an everyday workplace situation and who to ask when it is unclear
- Recognise behaviour that may be harassment or bullying, using the EEOC (US) and Acas (Great Britain) descriptions
- Choose a safe response when you witness disrespectful or harassing behaviour, and write a factual witness note
- Choose the right reporting route for a concern: informal, manager or HR, formal grievance, or whistleblowing
- Identify retaliation against someone who raised a concern and explain why it is prohibited
Course outline
- 1.Identifying which part of the code of conduct appliesLesson · 11 min
- 2.Recognising harassment and bullyingLesson · 14 min
- 3.Responding when you witness disrespectful or harassing behaviourLesson · 12 min
- 4.Choosing the right reporting routeLesson · 11 min
- 5.Identifying retaliation and why it is prohibitedLesson · 10 min
- 6.Professional conduct and workplace ethics: knowledge checkKnowledge check · 14 questions
- 7.Professional conduct and workplace ethics: practical exerciseKnowledge check · 1 question
- 8.Final exam10 questions · passing it completes the course, so people who already know the material can test out
Sources it draws on
The lessons and questions are written from these references, so learners can go back to the original.
- U.S. EEOC: Harassment (page notes it is being reviewed and will be revised)
- U.S. EEOC: Retaliation
- U.S. EEOC: Small Business Fact Sheet: Harassment in the Workplace
- Acas: Harassment (discrimination at work; updated 26 August 2026)
- Acas: Witnessing sexual harassment (updated 1 October 2026)
- Acas: Disciplinary procedure step 1, understanding the options (updated 4 December 2025)
- Acas: Formal grievance procedure step 1, understanding the options (updated 21 May 2024)
- GOV.UK: Workplace bullying and harassment
- GOV.UK: Whistleblowing for employees
See it with your own jobs and topics
Tell us about your team and we'll walk you through setup, from choosing jobs to your first skills check.