Ethics at SGH

Key values at SGH

Many SGH employees were involved in the process of developing and consulting the Code of Ethics, which means this document is our common creation. All of us are obliged to abide by the Code: the management, research and teaching staff as well as administrative and support staff. The Code also represents our public declaration of adherence to the highest ethical standards. With frigate as the symbol of SGH, the Code of Ethics serves as a compass, showing is which itinerary to follow.

The SGH has had a participatory Code of Ethics in place since 2018. The dissemination and compliance with the Code is supervised by the Ethics Officer and the Ethics Committee , undertaking various information and education activities and also investigating any violations of the Code of Ethics. The values selected by SGH employees incorporate the values of the Code of Ethics for Polish Academy of Sciences Researchers, as well as the Declaration of University Social Responsibility signed by SGH.

• University Social Responsibility

Code of Ethics and Ethics Guide

The SGH Code of Ethics defines the key SGH values and translates them into rules of conduct. The SGH Ethics Guide, as an annex to the Code, explains it in more detail: it shows examples of specific situations where the values and principles of conduct are applied. It is an open document that should be supplemented with examples submitted by employees.

All employees of the SGH Warsaw School of Economics, regardless of their position, are required to abide by the Code.

Document

The SGH Ethics Guide

Document

The SGH Code of Ethics

Ethics Officer

Pursuant to the SGH Statutes   (§ 4, item 6), the Ethics Officer is responsible for taking action to shape the right ethical attitudes in the SGH community, and for defending the rights of members of that community.

The specific tasks of the Ethics Officer include:

• disseminating the Code of Ethics,
• supporting employees in implementing the provisions of the Code,
• preventing unethical actions and violations,
• investigating reported violations of the Code,
• monitoring the implementation of the Code, proposing updates to the Code.

The rules of operation of the Ethics Officer are set out in Resolution No. 42 of the SGH Senate of 25 November 2020 on detailed rules and procedures for the operation of the Ethics Officer of the SGH Warsaw School of Economics.

Ethics Committee

The specific tasks of the Ethics Committee include:

• disseminating the Code of Ethics,
• supporting employees in implementing the provisions of the Code,
• preventing unethical actions and violations,
• investigating reported violations of the Code,
• monitoring the implementation of the Code, proposing updates to the Code,
• issuing opinions on ethics of research at the request of interested parties.

Anti-discrimination and anti-mobbing policy

Pursuant to the Rector’s Order of 31 August 2020 , SGH follows an internal Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Mobbing Policy introduced to counteract cases of discrimination, mobbing and sexual harassment in relation to employees and participants in various forms of education.

Discrimination is understood in the Policy as unequal treatment in employment, in particular on the grounds of sex, age, disability, race, nationality, ethnic origin, religion, denomination, political views, union membership, sexual orientation, and on the grounds of employment type (definite or indefinite period of time, full- or part-time employment). This definition applies accordingly to unequal treatment of participants in various forms of education.

The Policy defines mobbing as behaviour  concerning a person or directed against a person, consisting in persistent and prolonged harassment or intimidation, causing lower self-perception of usefulness, e.g. in the professional environment, causing or intending to cause humiliation or ridicule, isolation or elimination from a group of people of which this person is a member.

According to the Policy, sexual harassment is defined as any inappropriate conduct of a sexual nature or relating to the gender of the person, which has the intention or effect of violating that person’s dignity, in particular by creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive atmosphere for that person. Such conduct may contain physical, verbal or non-verbal elements.

The Policy also provides as follows:

§ 3
1. At SGH, any and all manifestations of discrimination, mobbing, sexual harassment and other forms of physical or psychological violence are considered to be particularly reprehensible, and actions or behaviours bearing the hallmarks of such phenomena, as specified in the Policy and universally applicable provisions of labour law, are prohibited.

4. Every employee and participant in a particular form of education is obliged to react appropriately to and counteract any noticed instances of discrimination, mobbing or sexual harassment at the University.

Doubts and violations

Doubts

What should I do if in doubt about how to act in a particular situation?
In such a situation, you can use the following questions to help you make the right decision:

• Is your conduct compliant with the law and internal regulations?
• Is it compliant with the provisions of the SGH Code of Ethics and the SGH Ethics Guide?
• How would you feel if your conduct was made public?
• What would your supervisor think about it?
• Would you admit to have engaged in such conduct to family and friends?
• Would you have a clear conscience after making this decision?

If the questions listed above have not helped you to resolve your doubts about what to do, you can contact your supervisor or the Ethics Officer, either in person (face-to-face meeting/e mail) or anonymously (contact box).

Violations

What should you do if you become aware of conduct that violates the Code of Ethics? Follow this 3-step process. Go to the next step if the previous step does not resolve your concern.

1. Talk to the person who violates the Code
2. Report the violation to that person’s supervisor
3. Report the violation to the Ethics Officer in person (face-to-face meeting/e mail) or anonymously (contact box)

What are the consequences of reporting a violation of the Code of Ethics?
Anyone who reports a violation of the Code of Ethics in good faith will not face any consequences for doing so. No retaliation against whistleblowers will be accepted. All reports will be handled with discretion.

Will I face any consequences if I violate the Code of Ethics?
If circumstances indicate that a violation of the Code of Ethics has occurred, such conduct will be reviewed by the Ethics Officer and the Ethics Committee.

Discrimination, mobbing, harassment

Specific violations of the Code of Ethics include discrimination, mobbing and sexual harassment. These issues are regulated by the Internal Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy of the SGH Warsaw School of Economics (Appendix to the Rector’s Order No. 77 of 31 August 2020).

Chapter 3 regulates the reporting procedure in such cases and contains reporting templates:
§ 6

1. An employee or a participant in a form of education who believes that they have experienced any form of discrimination, mobbing or sexual harassment from another employee is entitled to submit a written report on the matter.
2. The report referred to in item 1 should be placed in a correctly addressed, sealed envelope marked “personal” and submitted to the relevant secretarial office, respectively to: 1) the Rector – if the person identified as a mobber in the report is an academic teacher (including a vice-rector or dean), as well as the Chancellor or Deputy Chancellor; 2) the Chancellor – if the person identified as a mobber in the report is not an academic teacher.
3. The report should contain the following:

• the full name of the reporting person, hereinafter referred to as the “whistleblower”;
• the full name of the person(s) who, according to the whistleblower, has(have) engaged in discrimination, mobbing or sexual harassment against the whistleblower or contributed to such conduct;
• a brief description of the circumstances and a description of the improper acts or behaviours that the person(s) identified as the harasser(s) have committed, or contributed towards, against the whistleblower, where such acts or behaviours are thought by the whistleblower to be are manifestations of discrimination, mobbing or sexual harassment;
• information about the time and place where the described acts or behaviours occurred;
• an indication of evidence in the case, including witnesses, if any;
• an indication of the effects, if any, of the acts or behaviours experienced, including those related to the well-being or health situation of the harassed person, as committed, or contributed towards, by the person(s) identified as the harasser(s)
• the personal signature of the whistleblower.

Mediators

Pursuant to § 7 of the Policy, the Rector or the Chancellor may refer a case for mediation if the circumstances of the case indicate that it can be resolved amicably, without compromising the interests of the person(s) identified in the report as the harasser and the harassee.

The following mediators have been appointed at SGH:

• Kazimierz Kloc, Ph.D., SGH Professor is the mediator in matters concerning academic teachers at SGH.
• Anna Bogacka, M.A. is the mediator in cases concerning persons other than academic teachers.

Ewa Jastrzębska, Ph.D.
Ethics Officer
e-mail: rzeczniczka.etyki@sgh.waw.pl