Examples of Codes of Practice: Creating Effective Workplace Guidelines in Australia

When you’re running a small business, it’s easy to focus on the day-to-day: winning work, keeping customers happy, and making payroll. But as soon as you have a team (or even a few contractors), questions start popping up that can slow you down:

• “What’s the right way to handle a safety issue?”
• “Can staff record phone calls or use CCTV?”
• “How do we manage sick leave evidence fairly?”
• “What’s our process if something goes wrong and we need to investigate?”

This is where workplace guidelines and codes (often called “codes of practice” in a general sense) become incredibly useful. They help you set expectations, reduce risk, and respond consistently when things go wrong. And importantly, they help you build a culture where everyone knows what “good” looks like.

Below, we’ll walk through practical examples of codes of practice and workplace guidelines that Australian small businesses can use as inspiration, plus a step-by-step approach to creating your own workplace guidelines that actually get used (not just filed away and forgotten).

What Is a Code of Practice (And Why Should Your Small Business Have One)?

A “code of practice” is sometimes used to describe a set of written workplace guidelines that explain the standards, behaviours, and processes you expect in your business. It’s usually broader than a single policy. Think of it as the “how we do things here” document that supports your employment contracts, WHS approach, and culture.

However, in Australia, a Code of Practice can also mean a formal document approved or issued by a regulator (most commonly under WHS laws) or adopted within a regulated industry. Those formal codes can have a specific legal status and may be used as evidence of what is “reasonably practicable”. If you’re creating internal guidelines for your team, you’re typically creating internal policies/handbook documents (not a regulator-issued Code of Practice) - but the practical goal is similar: clear, written workplace rules that help you manage people and risk.

Having effective workplace guidelines can help you:

• Set expectations early (especially during onboarding and probation).
• Reduce disputes by making your standards and processes clear and consistent.
• Improve compliance with workplace laws, privacy, safety, and consumer-facing standards.
• Support performance management if you need to give feedback, warnings, or take disciplinary action.

It also helps you show that you’ve taken reasonable steps to create a safe, respectful and compliant workplace.

Examples Of Codes Of Practice Australian Small Businesses Commonly Use

There’s no one-size-fits-all list, but there are several examples of “codes of practice” (and practical internal policies) that work well across most industries. You might combine these into one “Workplace Code”, or keep them as separate policies inside a staff handbook.

1) Code of Conduct (Behaviour and Professional Standards)

This is often the core workplace guideline. It explains the behaviour you expect from your team and what happens if standards aren’t met.

Common inclusions:

• Professional behaviour with customers, suppliers, and colleagues
• Anti-bullying and harassment expectations
• Discrimination and equal opportunity principles
• Conflicts of interest (including secondary employment considerations)
• Social media conduct and brand representation

For many businesses, the code of conduct also links to your performance management and termination processes. If you’re setting expectations from day one, it helps to back those expectations up with strong documentation like an Employment Contract.

2) Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) Code of Practice

Even if you’re not in a “high-risk” industry, WHS still applies. A practical WHS code of practice (or WHS policy and procedures) sets out how your team works safely, reports hazards, and follows your processes.

Common inclusions:

• Hazard reporting and escalation (who to tell and when)
• Incident reporting and record keeping
• PPE requirements (if relevant)
• Safety inductions and training expectations
• Working alone, driving for work, or site work rules (as needed)

A strong WHS code doesn’t need to be long - but it should be specific to the actual risks in your business. A café’s WHS risks look different to a construction subcontractor, and your documents should reflect that reality. If your industry has a regulator-approved WHS Code of Practice, it’s also worth checking and aligning your procedures with it.

3) Leave, Absence, and Medical Evidence Code of Practice

Leave and absence management is one of the quickest ways small teams get stuck in conflict. People don’t always know what evidence is required, how much notice to give, or what happens if absences become frequent.

Your guidelines can cover:

• How to notify you of sick leave (call, text, email, timeframe)
• When you require evidence and what evidence is acceptable
• How you manage patterns of absence
• Return-to-work steps if someone is unwell or injured

In practice, many employers set clear rules about sick leave evidence, particularly where shifts are short or casual. If your workforce includes casuals, it’s worth understanding the typical approach to evidence requirements such as medical certificates for casual employees.

4) Surveillance, Recording, and Privacy Code of Practice

Many small businesses use CCTV, monitor work devices, or record calls for training and quality assurance. But surveillance and recording is a sensitive area - you want to protect your business without creating a privacy problem or staff mistrust.

A practical code of practice in this area should cover:

• Whether you use CCTV and where cameras are located
• What footage is used for (security, incidents, training)
• How long you keep footage and who can access it
• Rules around recording calls (including customer calls)
• Work device use: email, internet, messaging apps, personal phone use

If your business records calls or meetings, you also need to think about state/territory surveillance and listening device laws (which can differ), plus notice and consent requirements, signage, and secure storage/access controls. For example, Queensland businesses often ask about recording conversations in Queensland, while businesses operating nationally may want a broader view of recording a phone call in Australia.

5) Rostering, Shift Changes, and Shift Cancellations Code of Practice

If your business runs on shifts (hospitality, retail, healthcare, admin support, call centres), uncertainty around rosters can quickly become a morale and compliance issue.

It helps to document:

• How rosters are published and how far in advance
• How shift changes are communicated
• How you handle employee availability and time-off requests
• Rules for shift swaps
• When and how shifts can be cancelled (and what notice applies)

This area can get technical because minimum notice of rosters, shift cancellation, compensation, and “minimum engagement” rules often depend on the worker’s classification and the applicable modern award or enterprise agreement (and sometimes the employment contract). Having clear internal rules (and sticking to them) is still a great start - and it aligns with best practice on employee rostering and your approach to a shift cancellation policy.

6) Complaints, Incidents, and Investigation Code of Practice

Even in healthy workplaces, you may eventually face a complaint: customer misconduct, staff conflict, suspected theft, safety breaches, bullying allegations, or inappropriate behaviour.

A code of practice here helps your business respond consistently and fairly, including:

• How complaints are made and who receives them
• Confidentiality expectations (and limits)
• Investigation steps and timelines
• Interim measures (such as separating staff, changing duties or location)
• Possible outcomes (warnings, training, termination)

Some businesses also include a rule about whether an employee can be stood down during an investigation (and on what basis). Be careful here: “stand down” can have specific legal limits, may be unpaid only in narrow circumstances, and is often different from a direction to stay away from work on full pay while you investigate. This is a high-risk area if handled poorly, so it’s worth aligning your process with guidance on standing down an employee pending investigation.

How To Create Effective Workplace Guidelines (Step-By-Step)

It’s one thing to have examples. It’s another thing to create a code of practice your team understands and follows.

Here’s a practical process we often recommend for small businesses.

Step 1: Start With Your Real Risks (Not a Generic Template)

A code of practice works best when it reflects your day-to-day reality.

Ask yourself:

• Where do mistakes most commonly happen in your business?
• What behaviours would create the biggest risk (safety, customer harm, financial loss, brand damage)?
• What issues have you had before (or seen in your industry)?

For example, a trades business may prioritise safety procedures, vehicle use, and customer site conduct. A digital agency may prioritise confidentiality, device use, and client communication standards.

Step 2: Decide What Your “Code” Covers (And What Needs Its Own Policy)

You can treat your code of practice in one of two ways:

• One combined code that includes conduct, safety, privacy, and key processes in a single document.
• A short code + separate policies (for example, a short Code of Conduct plus separate policies for leave, WHS, IT use, and investigations).

For most small businesses, the “short code + separate policies” approach is easier to maintain over time. You can update one policy without rewriting your entire handbook.

Step 3: Write In Plain English (So It Actually Gets Followed)

Your team shouldn’t need a law degree to understand your expectations.

Practical drafting tips:

• Use short sentences and simple language.
• Use headings like “What We Expect” and “What To Do If Something Goes Wrong”.
• Include examples of acceptable vs unacceptable behaviour where helpful.
• Make it clear what happens next (for example, who to contact and how).

Aim for clarity over complexity. If your code becomes too technical, people stop reading it - which defeats the purpose.

Step 4: Make It Legally Consistent With Your Contracts

Your code of practice should match what you’ve agreed with staff in writing.

This is especially important for:

• Confidentiality obligations
• Intellectual property ownership
• Disciplinary processes
• Notice requirements and termination processes

For example, if your code says staff must give certain notice for absences, but your contract says something different (or doesn’t cover it at all), that inconsistency can lead to confusion and disputes.

This is why many employers build workplace guidelines alongside (or integrated into) the core employment documents, including the relevant Employment Contract for full-time/part-time staff and any casual or contractor agreements they use.

Step 5: Roll It Out Properly (Training Matters)

A code of practice isn’t effective just because it exists.

To roll it out properly, you can:

• Include it in onboarding and have staff acknowledge they’ve read it.
• Walk through the key parts in an induction session (15–30 minutes can be enough).
• Train managers on how to apply it consistently (this is where many businesses slip up).
• Keep it accessible (for example, a shared drive or HR system).

Consistency is everything. If you apply the rules differently depending on who the employee is, the code won’t protect your business - and you may create further risk.

Step 6: Review and Update It As Your Business Changes

Small businesses evolve quickly. A code of practice you wrote when you had 2 employees may not work when you have 12 staff across multiple sites (or remote workers).

Consider reviewing your code of practice:

• at least annually
• after a serious incident or complaint
• when you introduce new technology (CCTV, call recording, AI tools, new software)
• when your service offering changes or expands
• when you start hiring different roles or move into shift work

What Should You Include In Your Small Business Code Of Practice?

If you’re not sure where to start, here’s a practical checklist of common sections you might include. You don’t need all of these - but these are the areas that most often matter for small businesses in Australia.

• Purpose and scope: Who the code applies to (employees, contractors, casuals) and why it exists.
• Workplace behaviour standards: Respect, professionalism, teamwork, customer interactions.
• Equal opportunity and respectful workplace: Clear expectations and complaint pathways.
• Confidentiality and information handling: How business and customer information is managed.
• IT and device use: Work email, messaging apps, security basics, personal device rules.
• Surveillance and recording rules: CCTV, phone call recording, meeting recordings (if applicable), including how notice/consent is handled.
• WHS and incident reporting: Safety responsibilities, hazard reporting, emergency procedures.
• Leave and absence processes: Notice requirements, evidence rules, return-to-work steps.
• Rostering and shift management: How rosters change, cancellations, availability, swaps (and how this interacts with any award/EA rules).
• Complaints and investigations: How issues are raised and how you respond.
• Consequences for breaches: A clear (but fair) statement about disciplinary action.

If your business collects customer personal information (for example, bookings, marketing lists, online orders), your workplace code should also align with your external-facing documents like a Privacy Policy and your internal data handling practices. Many businesses build these documents together so expectations are consistent across the business.

Common Mistakes When Using Codes of Practice (And How To Avoid Them)

Most small businesses don’t fail because they didn’t care - they run into trouble because their guidelines weren’t practical, weren’t implemented, or weren’t consistent with the law.

Mistake 1: Copying a Generic Code That Doesn’t Match Your Business

Generic policies often include irrelevant obligations and miss your real risks. The result is a document nobody uses.

Fix: Start with your actual operations and risks, then tailor your code to what your team does day-to-day.

Mistake 2: Writing Rules You Don’t Enforce

If your code says “no personal phone use” but everyone uses phones at work and managers look the other way, the code becomes meaningless.

Fix: Only include standards you’re willing (and able) to enforce consistently.

Mistake 3: Not Connecting the Code to Contracts and Workplace Processes

Your code should support your employment contracts, disciplinary processes, and training. If it’s “floating” without any link to how you manage staff, it’s hard to rely on when issues arise.

Fix: Ensure your code aligns with your core employment documentation and onboarding. This is often where legal drafting and review makes a big difference.

Mistake 4: Ignoring Privacy and Surveillance Requirements

Surveillance, CCTV, and recordings are common in modern workplaces, but they can create risk if you don’t handle notice, consent (where required), and storage/access appropriately - especially if you operate across multiple states/territories.

Fix: Be transparent, document your approach clearly, and get advice if you operate across different states or use recording in customer interactions.

Key Takeaways

• Common “codes of practice” and workplace guidelines for small businesses include documents covering conduct, WHS, leave and absences, privacy and recording, rostering, and investigations.
• A strong code is practical and tailored to your real workplace risks - not a generic template that doesn’t match how your business operates.
• Your code should be consistent with your employment contracts and workplace processes, so expectations are clear and enforceable.
• Rollout matters: onboarding, manager training, and consistent enforcement are what make a code effective in the real world.
• Review your code regularly as your business grows, introduces new tech, or expands into shift work or multiple locations.

If you’d like help putting together a code of practice and workplace policies that fit your business, you can reach us at 1800 730 617 or team@sprintlaw.com.au for a free, no-obligations chat.