Code Of Conduct

We, the members and employees of IEEE, recognize the importance of our technologies in affecting the quality of life throughout the world and we accept a personal obligation to our professions, the members of IEEE, and other individuals involved in IEEE activities in our fields of interest. By this obligation we commit ourselves to the highest standards of integrity, responsible behavior, and ethical and professional conduct. We agree to be bound by the following rules:

1. Be respectful of others:
• We will be respectful of others, including IEEE members and IEEE employees, and will act in a professional manner while participating in IEEE activities.
• We will be respectful of the privacy of others and the protection of their personal information and data.
2. Treat people fairly:
• We will not engage in harassment of any kind, including sexual harassment, or bullying behavior whether in person, via cybertechnology or otherwise.
• We will not discriminate against any person because of characteristics protected by law (e.g., age, ancestry, color, disability or handicap, national origin, race, religion, gender, sexual or affectional orientation, gender identity, gender expression, appearance, matriculation, political affiliation, marital status, veteran status).
3. Avoid injuring others, their property, reputation or employment:
• We will avoid injuring others, their property, data, reputation, or employment by false or malicious action.
• We will not engage in or participate in the spreading of any malicious rumors, defamation or any other verbal or physical abuses, against an IEEE member, employee or other person, whether on the Internet or otherwise.
4. Refrain from retaliation :
• We will not retaliate against any IEEE member, employee or other person who reports an act of misconduct, or who reports any violation of the IEEE Code of Ethics or this Code of Conduct.
• We will not retaliate against any person who makes IEEE aware of the violation of any laws, rules or regulations in connection with IEEE activities.
5. Comply with applicable laws in all countries where IEEE does business and with the IEEE policies and procedures :
• We will comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations governing IEEE’s business conduct worldwide and all relevant procedures established by IEEE whenever and wherever we are acting on behalf of IEEE, or participating in IEEE activities, including but not limited to the following:
1. Rejecting bribery in all forms.
2. Avoiding real or perceived conflicts of interest whenever possible, and disclosing them to affected parties when they do exist.
3. Protecting confidential information belonging to IEEE and personal information belonging to IEEE members, employees and other persons.
4. Not agreeing with competing persons to fix prices or reduce price competition through allocation of customers or markets, manipulate bids in any competitive bidding process, or engage in other acts that result in restraining trade.
5. Not misusing or infringing the intellectual property of others.

Code Of Ethics

We, the members of the IEEE, in recognition of the importance of our technologies in affecting the quality of life throughout the world, and in accepting a personal obligation to our profession, its members, and the communities we serve, do hereby commit ourselves to the highest ethical and professional conduct and agree:

• to hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public, to strive to comply with ethical design and sustainable development practices, and to disclose promptly factors that might endanger the public or the environment;
• to avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest whenever possible, and to disclose them to affected parties when they do exist;
• to be honest and realistic in stating claims or estimates based on available data;
• to reject bribery in all its forms;
• to improve the understanding by individuals and society of the capabilities and societal implications of conventional and emerging technologies, including intelligent systems;
• to maintain and improve our technical competence and to undertake technological tasks for others only if qualified by training or experience, or after full disclosure of pertinent limitations;
• to seek, accept, and offer honest criticism of technical work, to acknowledge and correct errors, and to credit properly the contributions of others;
• to treat fairly all persons and to not engage in acts of discrimination based on race, religion, gender, disability, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression;
• to avoid injuring others, their property, reputation, or employment by false or malicious action;
• to assist colleagues and co-workers in their professional development and to support them in following this code of ethics.

Changes to the IEEE Code of Ethics will be made only after the following conditions are met:

• Proposed changes shall have been published in THE INSTITUTE at least three (3) months in advance of final consideration by the Board of Directors, with a request for comment, and
• All IEEE Major Boards shall have the opportunity to discuss proposed changes prior to final action by the Board of Directors, and
• An affirmative vote of two-thirds of the votes of the members of the Board of Directors present at the time of the vote, provided a quorum is present, shall be required for changes to be made.

Legal and Compliance Department

Find information on the Legal and Compliance Department website to understand the function of the Department as well as important information related to IEEE and its compliance programs.