Membership Code of Professional Conduct
Click here to download the PDF
Click here to skip to the FAQs
The Council of Trustees (‘Council’) expect all Members to uphold the reputation of The Physiological Society (‘The Society’).
This Code of Conduct is applicable to all Members: Honorary, Fellows, Full, Affiliate, Associate and Undergraduate.
_______________________________________________________
The Physiological Society Membership Code of Professional Conduct
The purpose of The Physiological Society is to advance Physiology and to provide an environment where Members and others come together to achieve this.
In order to accomplish this aim, Members are expected to act ethically. They should behave in a professional and considerate manner to all they encounter when attending meetings of The Society or when engaged in other Society activities. This includes interactions with other members, Society staff, and the general public.
The Society provides an environment in which all feel secure and comfortable for the open exchange of ideas. Scientific progress requires open and frank discussion of scientific data and ideas and there is no intention to suppress this. However, The Society has a policy of zero tolerance for harassment and bullying, including, humiliating, coercive or intimidating conduct. It also expects its members not to discriminate on grounds of ethnic or national origin, race, religion, citizenship, language, political or other opinion, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, age, social or economic position.
Members should not bring The Society into disrepute by their behaviour. When commenting on matters in the public arena, they should make it clear when they are representing The Society and when comments are theirs alone.
Acceptance of this Code of Conduct is a condition of membership of The Society. Substantial breach of any part
of this Code could lead to revocation of membership following procedures as stipulated on the website.
_______________________________________________
FAQs
What is a Membership Code of Professional Conduct?
To ensure the best possible experience for all our members The Society has a Membership Code of Professional Conduct (‘the Code’) that sets out expectations of conduct and behaviour of Members as well as safeguarding Members and The Society should a dispute or inappropriate conduct occur.
Why did Council decide to have one?
Many similar membership organisations have a code of conduct and it is considered good governance for Council to “ensure that the charity’s performance and interaction with its stakeholders are guided by the values, ethics and culture put in place by the board”.
The Society Articles of Association (5.1.2) “require such Members to abide by a Code of Professional Conduct which shall be published, amended as necessary, and regulated by the Council”.
What do I have to do to sign up?
For existing Members – by completing your renewal, you will be agreeing to The Society’s Code of Professional Conduct.
New Members: will need to tick the box under the declarations section of their application to agree to the Code and complete the process.
What happens if a breach of the Code occurs?
If a complaint is made against a Member the process The Society will use to investigate the complaint will be underpinned by the principles of natural justice which include:
- No bias whether conscious or unconscious
- The right to fair hearing
- Reasoned Decision
Any complaint will not normally be considered until any ongoing legal proceedings have been concluded.
A complaint against any Member should be submitted confidentially by email to the President and to the Chief Executive. In the case that a complaint is brought against the President, the President-elect shall act in their stead.
At the President’s discretion, a panel of Trustees and the Chief Executive will be instated to review the complaint and to seek any additional information they require to make an informed judgement. The individual against whom the complaint has been made will be notified and given adequate opportunity to be heard and formal minutes will be taken. Both the complainant and the Member being investigated may be accompanied by a friend (or a representative of their union). Any accompanying individual shall act as an observer only and shall not be entitled to actively participate in the hearing and may not advocate on behalf of the person they are accompanying.
The panel will make a collective decision on a reasonable course of action which will be ratified by Council.
Sanctions will normally be either:
- Dismissal of the dispute,
- Issue of a formal warning to the accused (in writing from the President), or
- Expulsion from the membership
Both the complainant and accused will be informed of Council’s decision.
If both parties accept Council’s decision, the sanction will be applied and a note made on the Member’s record. If either party wishes to appeal the decision, they must do so within 21 days of the communication by email to the President and to the Chief Executive.
The individual against which the complaint has been made will not cease to receive any membership benefits for the duration of the investigation.
Where Council has determined expulsion of a Member, the Member will cease to be a Member from the date of the Council meeting at which the decision was taken and shall receive no refund of any membership dues paid in arrears or for the forthcoming year.
Staff are bound by their terms and conditions of their employment so any matters relating to a member of staff should be reported to the Chief Executive and will be dealt with through The Society’s internal HR procedures.
What if I don’t want to sign up?
We hope that all Members can see the Code is intended to nurture a positive culture in which physiology can flourish. However, the Code will form part of the terms and conditions of becoming a Member so if you really don’t want to sign up then you won’t be able to complete your membership application, or renewal. Council will review the Code regularly and are always willing to hear the views of the membership so any questions or observations on the Code can be submitted via membership@physoc.org