Code of conduct template
Every other policy points back to this one. It is the short list of what is expected on a shift, written so that a manager can hold somebody to it and a new starter can read it in five minutes.
This example wording was checked against the official sources on 22 September 2026. It is a starting point, not legal advice, and it has not been through a workplace relations professional.
| Section | What the code says |
|---|---|
| Purpose | To set out what is expected of everybody who works here, so the standard is the same for all of us. |
| Who it applies to | All employees, casuals, apprentices and trainees, contractors and volunteers, including the owner and managers. |
| Turning up | Be ready to start at your rostered time, not walking in at it. If you cannot make a shift, call the manager on duty as early as you can and before it starts. A text to a colleague is not notice. |
| How we treat each other | Speak to each other the way you would want to be spoken to in front of a customer. Bullying, harassment, discrimination and violence are not tolerated and are dealt with under their own policies. |
| How we treat customers | Be courteous, even when they are not. You are not required to accept abuse: step away and get the manager on duty. The manager decides whether service ends, not the customer. |
| Honesty with money and stock | Ring up everything. Do not give away food, drinks or discounts that are not yours to give. Staff meals and discounts are what the staff discount says they are and nothing more. |
| Alcohol and other drugs | Do not come to work affected by alcohol or other drugs, and do not use them at work. Prescribed medication that may affect your work should be mentioned to the manager on duty so the shift can be arranged around it. |
| Phones and social media | Personal phones stay off the floor during service except on a break. Do not post about customers, colleagues or incidents at work. The social media policy sets out the detail. |
| Confidential information | Supplier prices, recipes, rosters, pay and anything you learn about a colleague stay here. That continues after you stop working here. |
| Conflicts of interest | Tell the owner if you have an interest that could conflict with this job, such as working for a competitor or a family connection to a supplier. Most of them are fine once they are known. |
| Safety | Follow the safety rules and the training you have been given, use the equipment the way you were shown, and report a hazard or an injury the same day. |
| If the code is breached | Depending on what happened: a conversation, a written warning, or dismissal. Serious misconduct such as theft, violence or being intoxicated at work may result in dismissal without notice. You will be told what the concern is and given a chance to respond. |
| Raising a concern | Speak to the manager on duty or the owner. The grievance policy sets out what happens after that. |
| Review date | Reviewed each year in March, and whenever a policy it refers to changes. |
What is in the file
- Template, blank, with each section down the side and room for the answer.
- Example, the same sheet filled in for Harbourside Coffee.
- How to use, with the steps and the mistakes below.
How to fill it in
- Keep it to one page. A code nobody finishes reading is a code nobody follows.
- Point to the other policies rather than repeating them, so there is only one version of each rule.
- Say what happens when it is breached, because a code with no consequence is a wish list.
- Go through it on the first shift, and have the person sign that they have.
Common mistakes
- Rules the owner does not follow, which is the fastest way to make the whole document optional
- Listing serious misconduct without saying anybody will be heard before a decision is made
- A code that contradicts the award or the employment contract, which loses either way
What changes by trade
The law behind this document is the same wherever you trade, so the wording above is written once. What changes is what the trade puts in front of it.
| Cafes and restaurants | Staff meals, knock off drinks and what leaves the kitchen at close are the three that cause the most trouble. Write the actual rule, not "use common sense". rostering a cafe |
| Pubs and clubs | Add responsible service, and add that staff do not drink on shift even when a patron buys one. A licence condition is not a matter of judgement. rostering a pub or club |
| Retail | Staff purchases, bag checks and the discount rate belong here. Say when a bag check happens and who does it, so it is not improvised. rostering a shop |
| Disability and home care | Gifts, money, social media contact with participants and lifts in a private car all need a line in the code. The default answer to each is no, with a named exception process. rostering disability support |
| Childcare | Photographs, personal phones in the room and contact with families outside work hours are the ones to spell out. The room’s phone rule should match what the code says. rostering an early learning service |
| Cleaning | Your staff hold keys and work unsupervised in other people’s premises. Say what may and may not be touched, used or eaten, because assumptions differ wildly. rostering a cleaning run |
This is example wording for a small business to adapt, not legal advice. Dismissal, notice and what counts as serious misconduct are governed by the Fair Work Act 2009, the Fair Work Regulations and any award or agreement that applies. Following a code does not by itself make a dismissal fair.
When a spreadsheet stops being enough
The parts of a code about turning up are the parts most often argued over. Roster Flow keeps the published roster, the change history and the clock in times, so the facts of a late start are not in dispute.
Questions
What is on the code of conduct template?
14 sections down the side, running from purpose to review date. The example beside them is filled in for Harbourside Coffee: what is expected on a shift, said once, so the standard is not a matter of opinion.
Does the code of conduct template work anything out for you?
No. It is a document with 14 sections to answer in your own words, not a calculator. Nothing on it is a formula.
Can I use the code of conduct template in Google Sheets?
Yes. Open code-of-conduct.xlsx from Google Drive, or use File, then Import, then Upload with code-of-conduct.csv. The document and its example come across either way.
Is the wording in the code of conduct template ready to use as it is?
The code of conduct template is a starting point for Harbourside Coffee or any business like it, to adapt rather than sign. The wording was checked against the official sources on 22 September 2026, it is not legal advice, and it has not been through a workplace relations professional.