An important aspect of any performance review is discussing work ethics. In this article, we’ll explore examples of performance review phrases and paragraphs focusing on work ethics, categorized by ratings ranging from Outstanding (5) to Unacceptable (1). We aim to equip managers and employees with the right tools to discuss work ethics constructively during performance appraisals.

A skill necessary for comprehensive and meaningful performance evaluations is identifying and using appropriate language related to work ethics. Doing so ensures constructive feedback and helps employees recognize their strengths and areas for improvement. Therefore, we’ll provide a list of phrase examples tailored to specific ratings that can be tailored according to each employee’s performance in relation to their work ethics. Paragraph examples will be provided to illustrate how to integrate the phrases into a cohesive segment that can be incorporated into a performance review. These examples will discuss employees’ adherence to ethical standards, level of professionalism, and demonstration of responsibility.

Performance Review Questions: Work Ethics

When it comes to assigning a rating for ethics, it’s important to consider the employee’s overall performance and behavior, as well as any specific incidents or examples that demonstrate their ethical conduct. It’s also important to have clear guidelines and criteria for evaluating ethics, and to ensure that all employees are held to the same standards. The rating should reflect the employee’s demonstrated commitment to ethical behavior and their ability to uphold the company’s values and principles.

Questions to consider when evaluating an employee’s ethics include:

1. Does the employee consistently adhere to the company’s code of conduct and ethical standards?
2. Has the employee demonstrated honesty and integrity in their work?
3. Does the employee treat colleagues, customers, and stakeholders with respect and professionalism?
4. Has the employee ever been involved in any unethical behavior, such as lying, cheating, or stealing?
5. Does the employee take responsibility for their actions and hold themselves accountable?
6. Has the employee actively sought out opportunities to improve their ethical behavior or knowledge?

Related: Best Performance Review Examples for 48 Key Skills

2000+ Performance Review Phrases: The Complete List (Performance Feedback Examples)

Performance Review Phrases and Paragraphs Examples For Ethics

5 – Outstanding

Example Phrases

• Consistently demonstrates integrity and honesty in all aspects of work.
• Acts as a role model for ethical behavior to colleagues.
• Takes responsibility for maintaining a positive and ethical work environment.
• Demonstrates an unwavering commitment to company values and principles.
• Consistently demonstrates integrity in all aspects of her work, setting an example of high ethical standards for the team.
• Fosters a sense of trust and respect among colleagues, ensuring confidentiality is maintained where necessary.
• Takes responsibility for his actions and is always quick to address any ethical concerns or issues, maintaining transparency in decision-making.
• Proactively identifies potential ethical dilemmas and takes steps to prevent or mitigate them, ensuring the company maintains its reputation for integrity.
• Consistently goes above and beyond to ensure that all decisions and actions are aligned with the highest ethical standards, even in complex or challenging situations.
• Demonstrates exceptional moral courage, speaking up and taking action when witnessing unethical behavior, regardless of the potential consequences.
• Actively promotes a culture of ethics and integrity within the organization, encouraging open discussions and providing guidance to colleagues.
• Consistently treats all individuals with respect and fairness, promoting an inclusive and non-discriminatory work environment.
• Demonstrates an outstanding commitment to protecting sensitive information and maintaining confidentiality, building trust with clients and colleagues.
• Proactively seeks out opportunities to further educate themselves and others on ethical best practices and emerging issues in their field.
• Consistently demonstrates transparency and honesty in all communications, fostering a culture of trust and accountability.

Example Paragraph

“Jane consistently demonstrates integrity in all aspects of her work, setting an example for high ethical standards among her team members. She fosters a sense of trust and respect among her colleagues, ensuring confidentiality is maintained when necessary. Jane takes full responsibility for her actions and is consistently transparent in decision-making, addressing any concerns or issues with respect to ethics.”

4 – Exceeds Expectations

Example Phrases

• Frequently goes above and beyond to uphold company values.
• Actively promotes ethical behavior among team members.
• Consistently exhibits a strong sense of integrity and fairness in decision-making.
• Demonstrates a clear understanding of ethical issues and potential conflicts.
• Exhibits strong ethical behavior while performing tasks, upholding the company’s values and policies consistently.
• Demonstrates respect for colleagues’ opinions and ideas, valuing diverse perspectives and fostering open dialogue.
• Recognizes ethical implications in decision-making, putting the greater good of the company and its employees first.
• Takes initiative to address potential ethical concerns proactively, ensuring the company maintains a high standard of integrity.
• Consistently makes decisions and takes actions that align with ethical standards, even in complex or ambiguous situations.
• Demonstrates the courage to speak up when observing unethical behavior, taking appropriate action to address the issue.
• Actively contributes to promoting a culture of ethics and integrity within the team, leading by example and providing guidance to colleagues.
• Consistently treats all individuals with respect and fairness, fostering an inclusive and non-discriminatory work environment.
• Demonstrates a strong commitment to protecting sensitive information and maintaining confidentiality, building trust with clients and colleagues.
• Seeks out opportunities to expand their knowledge of ethical best practices and applies this knowledge to their work.
• Consistently communicates with transparency and honesty, contributing to a culture of trust and accountability.

Example Paragraph

“Mark exhibits strong ethical behavior while performing his tasks, consistently upholding the company’s values and policies. He demonstrates respect for his colleagues’ opinions and ideas, valuing diversity and fostering open dialogue. Mark also recognizes the ethical implications in decision-making, always putting the greater good of the company and its employees first.”

3 – Meets Expectations

Example Phrases

• Adheres to company policies, procedures, and ethical standards.
• Understands the importance of ethical behavior in maintaining a positive work environment.
• Takes appropriate action when faced with ethical issues or dilemmas.
• Respects the rights and opinions of others, even when they differ.
• Generally adheres to company policies, rules, and regulations, with occasional reminders required.
• Treats colleagues with respect and participates in ethical decision-making, though sometimes may need guidance to identify potential ethical dilemmas.
• Understands the importance of personal responsibility but occasionally exhibits lapses in judgment.
• Demonstrates a basic understanding of ethical principles and applies them to their work, seeking guidance when needed.
• Makes decisions and takes actions that generally align with ethical standards, with occasional guidance required in complex situations.
• Speaks up when observing unethical behavior, though may sometimes hesitate to take action or require encouragement to do so.
• Contributes to maintaining a culture of ethics and integrity within the team, following the lead of others and participating in discussions.
• Generally treats all individuals with respect and fairness, promoting an inclusive and non-discriminatory work environment.
• Maintains confidentiality and protects sensitive information, with occasional reminders or guidance required.
• Participates in opportunities to learn about ethical best practices when offered, applying this knowledge to their work.
• Communicates with transparency and honesty in most situations, contributing to a culture of trust and accountability.

Example Paragraph

“Susan generally adheres to company policies, rules, and regulations, but occasionally needs reminders to stay on track. She treats her colleagues with respect and participates in ethical decision-making, although she sometimes requires guidance in identifying potential ethical dilemmas. Susan understands the importance of personal responsibility but has shown occasional lapses in judgment.”

2 – Needs Improvement

Example Phrases

• Inconsistently adheres to company values and ethical standards.
• Could work on recognizing and addressing potential ethical conflicts in the workplace.
• May sometimes display a lack of integrity in decision-making.
• Should focus on developing a better understanding of ethical issues and their consequences.
• Struggles to consistently adhere to company policies, rules, and regulations, often requiring supervision or intervention.
• Exhibits occasional disrespect or insensitivity towards colleagues, creating tension and misunderstandings.
• Demonstrates a lack of personal responsibility, often shifting blame onto others for ethical mishaps.
• Demonstrates a limited understanding of ethical principles and struggles to apply them consistently to their work, requiring frequent guidance.
• Makes decisions and takes actions that occasionally deviate from ethical standards, requiring correction and guidance in complex situations.
• Hesitates to speak up when observing unethical behavior, often failing to take action or requiring significant encouragement to do so.
• Inconsistently contributes to maintaining a culture of ethics and integrity within the team, sometimes engaging in or tolerating questionable behavior.
• Occasionally treats individuals with disrespect or unfairness, contributing to a less inclusive and discriminatory work environment.
• Inconsistently maintains confidentiality and protects sensitive information, requiring frequent reminders or guidance.
• Rarely participates in opportunities to learn about ethical best practices, showing limited interest in applying this knowledge to their work.
• Communicates with a lack of transparency and honesty in some situations, eroding trust and accountability within the team.

Example Paragraph

“David struggles to consistently adhere to company policies, rules, and regulations, often requiring supervision or intervention. He has shown occasional disrespect or insensitivity towards colleagues, leading to unnecessary tension and misunderstandings. David’s lack of personal responsibility has been evident when he frequently shifts blame onto others for ethical mishaps.”

1 – Unacceptable

Example Phrases

• Frequently engages in dishonest or unethical behavior.
• Actively disregards company values and ethical standards.
• Shows a complete lack of concern for ethical issues and their consequences.
• Fails to take responsibility for actions and decisions that violate ethical guidelines.
• Systematically disregards company policies, rules, and regulations, showing a clear lack of integrity and ethical behavior.
• Engages in disrespectful or discriminatory behavior towards colleagues, creating a hostile work environment.
• Demonstrates a complete disregard for personal responsibility, consistently making unethical decisions and disregarding the consequences of his actions.
• Demonstrates no understanding of ethical principles and consistently fails to apply them to their work, even with extensive guidance.
• Makes decisions and takes actions that consistently violate ethical standards, showing no regard for the consequences or willingness to correct behavior.
• Consistently fails to speak up when observing unethical behavior, actively enabling or participating in misconduct.
• Actively undermines efforts to maintain a culture of ethics and integrity within the team, consistently engaging in or encouraging unethical behavior.
• Consistently treats individuals with disrespect and unfairness, actively contributing to a discriminatory and hostile work environment.
• Consistently violates confidentiality and fails to protect sensitive information, causing significant damage to trust and relationships.
• Refuses to participate in opportunities to learn about ethical best practices, actively resisting efforts to improve their understanding and application of ethics.
• Consistently communicates with a lack of transparency and honesty, actively deceiving others and undermining trust and accountability within the team.

Example Paragraph

“Karen systematically disregards company policies, rules, and regulations, demonstrating a clear lack of integrity and ethical behavior. She frequently engages in disrespectful or discriminatory behavior towards her colleagues, which creates a hostile work environment for everyone involved. Karen’s refusal to take personal responsibility for her actions contributes to an ongoing pattern of unethical decision-making and apparent disregard for the consequences of her actions.”

Honesty and Integrity:

Example Phrases

• 5 – Outstanding: Consistently displays unwavering honesty and integrity in all actions and decisions; serves as a role model for others in maintaining high ethical standards.
• 4 – Exceeds Expectations: Often demonstrates a strong commitment to honesty and integrity, and inspires trust in those around them.
• 3 – Meets Expectations: Exhibits honesty and integrity in most situations, promoting a sense of trust and credibility within the team.
• 2 – Needs Improvement: Struggles with maintaining honesty and integrity in certain situations, resulting in occasional lapses in trust and credibility.
• 1 – Unacceptable: Frequently engages in dishonest or unethical behavior, undermining their credibility and damaging trust within the team.

Example Paragraph

“Jane consistently demonstrates outstanding ethical behavior, as evidenced by her unwavering commitment to honesty and integrity. Her high ethical standards inspire trust in colleagues and superiors alike, positioning her as a respected figure within the company.”

Adherence to Policies and Regulations:

Example Phrases

• 5 – Outstanding: Strictly adheres to the company’s policies and regulations, proactively identifying potential ethical issues and advocating for continuous improvements.
• 4 – Exceeds Expectations: Demonstrates a strong understanding of policies and regulations, often going above and beyond to ensure they are followed and properly enforced.
• 3 – Meets Expectations: Generally complies with policies and regulations, while showing an awareness of their significance and consistently taking the necessary steps to adhere to them.
• 2 – Needs Improvement: Occasionally disregards or violates policies and regulations, needing reminders and support to adhere to the established guidelines.
• 1 – Unacceptable: Frequently ignores or knowingly violates company policies and regulations, resulting in the potential for serious consequences and negative impacts on the company.

Example Paragraph

“Mark meets expectations in following company policies and regulations, showcasing an understanding of their importance within the workplace. However, it would be beneficial for Mark to further familiarize himself with the finer details of these guidelines, potentially refocusing his commitment to upholding ethical standards within the company.”

By accurately assessing employees’ ethical behavior, you contribute to the company’s overall success and foster a thriving, ethically sound work environment.