Members Code of Conduct Policy

[Approved by SUTA Board of Directors on December 12, 2021]

Introduction

SUTA Members Code of Conduct Policy is to outline SUTA’s expectations regarding the members’ behavior toward their colleagues, other members, and overall organization. This policy applies to all members regardless of their membership status or rank. Accepting this policy is a prerequisite for new and renewing SUTA members.

I. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to:

●  Foster a well-organized, respectful, and collaborative environment focused on the interest of SUTA
●  Define the health of the organization's ethical culture and understand the real ethics risks in the organization
●  Strive to achieve the highest levels of professionalism, performance and social responsibility
●  Preserve fundamental democratic principles and rights
●  Promote freedom of expression and open communication
●  Maintain a sustainable human and physical environment.
●  Provide members with guidelines for making ethical choices, express their commitment to ethical behavior and to ensure that there is accountability for those choices
●  Earn the members’ trust by adhering to the values such as honesty, integrity, transparency, confidentiality, and equity
●  Craft a guideline to deal with violations of Code of Conducts, Bylaw and State Law
●  Create a form or statement to be accepted by all members
●  Establish procedures for non-complied individuals to be excused from voting and/or decision making on such matters
●  Recommend creating an authorized body defined by the Bylaws to oversee the Code of Conduct policy, investigate the issues and deal with related cases.

II. Policy

SUTA is an inclusive, non discriminatory organization. SUTA’s code of conduct does not allow any form of discriminatory behavior, harassment, or victimization. Members should treat each other with dignity, respect and compassion to foster a trusting environment free of harassment, intimidation, and unlawful discrimination.

Protection of freedom of expression and human dignity are two principal values in SUTA affairs. SUTA members should adhere to these values and shouldn't allow an environment of healthy discussion to become polluted with insult and violation of personal rights. On the other hand, they should not perceive any unpleasant criticism of themselves as an insult and show restraint and tolerance. The benchmarks for determining the boundaries between freedom of expression and personal rights within SUTA are according to the respective legal regulations within the corresponding countries.

We at SUTA promote open communication. However, members should avoid offending other members, participating in destructive disputes and disrupting the meetings or undermining SUTA organization.

Therefore, all SUTA members including Directors, Officers, and Volunteers are expected to adhere to following principles:

1. Comply with SUTA By-laws and regulations and protect SUTA’s legality,

2. Be ethical and responsible when dealing with the organization's finances, public image and outputs in social media and other public environments,

3. Respect fellow members and avoid offending other members, tone policing, participating in distructives disputes and disrupting the gatherings or meetings,

4. Refrain from sharing personal issues with other members in public environment and social media sites,

5. Show Integrity, responsibility, and professionalism at all times,

6. Work as a team and accept collective decisions,

7. Respect appropriate authorized body created for conflict resolution in the Bylaws Independence and capabilities to resolve internal issues,

8. Communicate directly and constructively through appropriate channels without undermining SUTA organization,

9. Comply with applicable SUTA’s Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Policies,

10. Inform any violation of SUTA compliance policies to authorized body.
    
    

Disciplinary Action

Intentionally failing to follow the above code of conducts can result in citation by the authorized body defined by SUTA Bylaws to handle such violations and ultimately recommending expulsion of the repeating violators from SUTA to the General Assembly.

In effect: January 1، 2022, until further notice