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3 Accounting ethics

Illustration 5

Professional behaviour

You believe that the work of one of your team has been unfairly criticised

by someone in the firm, who may have used emails to undermine the

work of your colleague.

You should start by checking the facts. You will be concerned that the

reputation of your firm could be damaged by these actions. If you can

find sound evidence, you should consult with a more senior member of

sta and seek their advice on how the matter should be dealt with.

Accountants must comply with relevant laws and regulations and avoid

any action that discredits the profession.

As you can see from the illustrations, to maintain high ethical

standards oen requires real strength of character. It takes a degree

of determination and courage to argue for the highest standards and

to say no to anything which seems unethical. In some exceptional

situations you may feel you must act as a “whistle-blower” – this

is when you feel it is necessar y to expose what you believe to be a

dishonest or illegal activity within an organization.

Where accountants act inappropriately, serious consequences will

follow. For example:

• inappropriate behaviour in the workplace, such as maligning a

colleague, could lead to dismissal

• sharing information about a client with another client without

their permission would lead to a loss of integrity

• failing to carr y out work for a client satisfactorily due to a lack

of technical expertise and up-to-date knowledge could lead to a

law suit

• missing deadlines for filing tax documents with the authorities

could lead to fines

• being found guilty of fraud could lead to imprisonment .

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