GECB

Certification Requirement

Ethics for the professional is a new requirement for all of our certifications. Ethics is central to any industry we serve and it is our goal to equip all certification holders with tools and information they need to be successful in the field and avoid potential violations.

To satisfy this requirement and maintain your certification, you must take an Ethics Professional course of your choice or equivalent training which covers all or some of the described syllabus. To read more on what an equivalent training must cover, see the Certification Requirements section below.

Learning Objectives

  • Recognize the importance of upholding ethical standards across your industry.
  • Differentiate between ethics, morals and values.
  • Discuss how the Six Pillars of Character embody the ethical values of a professional.
  • Explain why ethics is important within professional settings.
  • Describe the consequences of engaging in unethical behavior.
  • Apply an ethical decision-making framework to solve ethical dilemmas.

 

Learning Objectives

Section 1 | Introduction

  • Recognize the importance of upholding ethical standards across your industry.

Section 2 | Professional Ethics

  • Differentiate between ethics, morals and values.
  • Discuss how the Six Pillars of Character embody the ethical values of a professional.
  • Explain why ethics is important within professional settings.

Section 3 | Factors that Lead to Unethical Decision Making

  • Describe what an unethical decision is.
  • Describe how rationalizations are used to justify unethical decisions in a professional setting.
  • Recognize the factors that can lead an individual to make an unethical decision.

Section 4 | Types of Unethical Behavior

  • Identify types of unethical behavior seen when working in your industry.
  • Describe the consequences of engaging in unethical behavior.

Section 5 | A Framework for Ethical Decision Making

  • Explain what ethical dilemmas are and why they occur within professional environments.
  • Apply an ethical decision-making framework to solve ethical dilemmas.

New Certification Ethics Requirement

Ethics is the foundation of any certification program and reinforces the principles set forth during the certification process. Starting January 1, 2022 all new certification applicants and certification renewal applicants will be required to meet the new Ethics Requirement. This can be met by participating in any ethics course or training that meets the below criteria:

Equivalent training must cover at least 3 of the 5 topics listed below. Proof of completion will need to be submitted as part of the new or renewal application process.

  • Types of unethical behavior commonly encountered in the field
  • Factors that may lead to unethical decision making in the field
  • Ethical decision-making best practices or processes
  • Impacts of unethical decisions or unethical behavior
  • How to report unethical behavior

 

Understanding your Certification Ethics Responsibilities

When you follow the rules of ethics associated with your certification, you show your dedication to the integrity of the program. This helps maintain the customer’s confidence in the services and ensures the continued quality of the program.

What are some of the principles you should follow as a certification holder?

  • Keep confidential any questions that appear on your certification exam
  • Give first consideration in your exam integrity and reputation
  • Apply yourself with diligence and responsibility to the work that lies within your area of competence
  • Pursue your work with fairness, honesty, integrity, and courtesy, ever mindful of the best interest of the public, your employer and your fellow workers
  • Represent yourself to be proficient only in areas in which you are qualified by knowledge and experience
  • Avoid and discourage untrue, sensational, exaggerated, and/or unwarranted statements regarding your work in oral presentation, written text, and/or advertising media
  • Inform clients or employers of any conflicts of interest that might influence your judgment

Ethics frequently asked questions

What are some examples of ethics violations?

  • Claiming to be a GECB Certified when you are not
  • Advertising yourself to be certified at a higher level than you actually are
  • Having a conflict of interest on the job and failing to report it
  • Disclosing any exam questions or exam content to another individual

How could an ethics violation affect my career?

  • Potential loss of job
  • Your employer’s project could be put in jeopardy
  • You could be putting your coworkers at risk
  • Your customers lose faith in the quality of your products and services
  • Your reputation could be tarnished, which will affect future career endeavors

What are the implications of getting caught not following the rules of ethics?

  • If a complaint is filed against a certification holder, an investigation is opened through the GECB Policy and Practices Committee. The Committee reviews the case and asks for a response from the person being complained against.
  • If the person with the complaint filed against them is found to be “guilty” of violating the ethics, the Committee is then able to act upon disciplinary actions, which may include revoking an active certification, up to banning the person from holding any GECB certifications in the future.

Why does GECB care about ethics?

  • Ethics violations hurt the integrity of the program, the industry, and customer perception
  • Lack of ethics by certification holders decreases the value of your certification and can impact people’s career, the industry, and customer ROI

How can you file a complaint against someone in violation of the ethics rules?

  • Send, in writing, the full complaint with as many details/documentation as possible to the Global Elite Council’s Executive Director
  • Visit the Guides and Policies page for additional information

As an employer, how can you check to ensure your employees are actively certified?

GECB maintains a regularly updated database of certified individuals. Please feel free to verify the authenticity, status and veracity of any certification through the registry of certified individuals on our website or email us at support@gecb.cm for confirmation.

What must an equivalent training program cover?

Equivalent training must cover at least 3 of the 5 topics listed below. Proof of completion will need to be submitted as part of the new or renewal application process.

  • Types of unethical behavior commonly encountered in the field
  • Factors that may lead to unethical decision making in the field
  • Ethical decision-making best practices or processes
  • Impacts of unethical decisions or unethical behavior
  • How to report unethical behavior