Katarína Ryšavá

1/16/2023

We approved the Code of Ethics

It is very important to us, that our employees as well as external workers follow uniform principles of behaviour and conduct (even outside of workplace). For that reason we got the Code of Ethics approved by a majority vote of all proFem employees on 28 November 2022.

Compliance with the Code is required from all employees and volunteers, and is therefore an attachment to both the employment and volunteer contracts.

The Code is based on human rights and fundamental freedoms principles, with emphasis on human dignity, personal freedom and equality, and the principle of organizational independence. All the principles listed above are key to our work with clients using our services, fellow colleagues and to building our organization as a whole.

You can read the entire Code of Ethics in Czech language here.

Below you can read short summary of the most important principles and standards.

General principles

Non-discrimination

• Any form of discrimination against (female) clients, colleagues and other people with whom the employee comes into professional contact is unacceptable.
• Simultaneously, any other form of favouritism, illegitimate or favored treatment towards employees and clients is also inadmissible

Personal data protection

• When working with personal data (of clients, supporters, donors, etc.), the employee follows the internal regulation on the processing of personal data.

Intellectual property

• During practice and when creating communication materials, we use legally acquired software and respect intellectual property.

Conflict of interest

• The organization and all its employees take all the necessary preventive and follow-up steps and measures to avoid a conflict of interests at personal and client level and also at the level of subsequent extension services.

Standards of behaviour towards clients

• All employees treat clients with dignity and respect
• All information and personal data shared by clients are confidential and employees handle them cautiously
• Any form of violence or harassment towards clients is unacceptable. As well as establishing sexual or personal relationships with clients.

Standards of behaviour towards media

• When communicating about organization, activities, services and projects in media and in public we present information corresponding to our practice and experience and in accordance with the values and principles of the organization.
• We do not collaborate with xenophobic or conspiracy media
• We do not comment on specific cases of sexual or domestic violence in media
• Clients are not represented by our organization when communicating with media
• Contact information of our clients is not provided to journalists

Standards of behaviour towards partners, donors and supporters

• We adhere to the principle of transparency.
• Any kind of corrupt behaviour is unacceptable.

Standards of behaviour towards colleagues

• Any form of harassment or humiliation is unacceptable
• Employees treat each other politely, with mutual respect as well as with confidence in professional competence in the spirit of mutual professional support.

Responsibility to the profession

• The employees try to continually maintain and increase the professional level of their work.
• All employees also have responsibility to the profession in terms of their own personal experience with the topic of domestic or sexual violence and its processing: such experience must not negatively affect the approach to clients or the performance of other work activities.

Responsibility to the organization

• The employees follow all relevant internal regulations and documents of the organization, and eventually contribute to their revision and updating.
• Employees are obliged to use property, financial and other resources responsibly.
• When performing their work employees follow safety regulations and take care to protect their health, as well as the safety and health of colleagues and clients.
• Employees take care of maintaining the prestige of the organization, they represent it externally with dignity and behave in such a way in order to not reduce the public's trust in the mission of the organization.

The Code of Ethics is continuously revised and supplemented.

Violations of the Code can be reported via email hr@profem.cz