My CIPP
The CIPP members’ code of conduct: a necessity of standards
Cliff Vidgeon BA (Hons) CMA ACG ChFCIPP, CIPP board member and institute secretary, provides a summary of the rules of professional conduct set out for CIPP members and explains their history and importance
T he CIPP members’ code of worth knowing about. There are many types of conduct codes that impact on all aspects of our lives. Some tell us what we should be doing, others what we ought to refrain from and there are those that provide a mixture of the two. They are often accompanied by a form of punishment should they be breached. As individuals, it’s important to know about their existence in the first place to avoid inadvertently breaking any of them. conduct is an important part of the Institute’s governance and is The history of codes To understand why such codes of conduct are important to professional bodies, we can track them way back in history. The medieval guilds that began to develop in the 12th century were very much about advancing the interests of merchants or craftsmen, which were partly achieved by setting quality and behavioural standards. Their rules and regulations also covered everything from the quality of goods, working hours, the goods that could be produced, fair wages and the price at which their produce could be sold. The purpose was to ensure quality, protect the interests of their members and maintain a sense of order in the medieval marketplace. Any violation of the rules could lead to expulsion, which more than likely would result in a craftsman no longer being able trade in their town. Hundreds of years later, UK professional bodies provide not dissimilar rules for the same purposes. The CIPP Charter – and note that the first Charters were granted at around the same time that the guild system was developing – makes clear our responsibility to protect the interests
of the public. For example, it obliges the Institute to maintain “an educational and ethical structure of the highest standards” and to “promote continuing educational and ethical compliance…for the protection of the wider community and the business community”. In this context, the Charter requires the Institute to “set standards of conduct for members” and to enforce such standards through a disciplinary system, hence the need for a members’ code of conduct. Professional competence The CIPP’s code covers members taking practical steps to ensure professional competence, possessing an appropriate understanding of relevant legislation and regulations etc, discharging obligations faithfully and with integrity, acting honestly, lawfully, upholding the reputation of the profession, upholding the standing and dignity of the profession and a requirement to act honestly and with integrity. The full code should be referred to as the authoritative source and it can be found on the CIPP website here: https://ow.ly/ aHnh50TXW34. The code places an emphasis on conduct, standards and professional competence and there is a disciplinary procedure that comes into play if there is a valid allegation that a member is falling short of them. The procedure can be found on the same page as the code of conduct on the CIPP website and it is invoked following a complaint against a member. Complaints can be made by emailing complaints@cipp.org.uk . The standards that the code seeks to uphold are not just qualitative in relation to the performance of professional obligations and duties, but also refer to behaviour.
Thus, a serious criminal offence may render an individual unfit for membership. There is also a role in ensuring that our workplace cultures and environments are non-discriminatory. The Institute has a part to play in this and the policing of professional standards in this context also gives added emphasis to the importance of the code and its application. Handling complaints The CIPP doesn’t receive many complaints, on average around six to ten a year. Some are dismissed or deferred because it can’t investigate allegations that fall within the competence of a criminal court, employment tribunal, local ombudsman or other duly appointed body before those bodies have concluded adjudication (or after any appeals have concluded). Although this is uncommon, there have been – happily – only a small number of serious cases where CIPP membership has been terminated. The CIPP disciplinary process is based on legal advice and is initiated by an appointed (by the board chair) investigating officer. The process that is followed will depend on the evidence, with the more serious cases being referred to a disciplinary committee. As membership numbers rise and an increasing number of employers insist that their payroll staff are IPP Education qualified, it’s likely that the Institute will need to revisit the code to ensure that it remains fit for purpose. A further factor in this is the rise in the number of companies offering payroll services. If the CIPP becomes recognised as the regulatory body for the payroll profession, then the code will play an even more significant role in ensuring future standards for our profession. n
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| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |
Issue 106 | December 2024 - January 2025
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