How can I tell how ethical my company is?

You will need to undertake a bit of thorough detective work in order to ascertain how ethical a particular company is or indeed any organisation is. Look at a company’s annual report, see whether it has an environmental or social policy and whether it has staff dedicated towards social responsibility issues. You can also look much broader — does the company produce reports on its beliefs and what actions it has taken (a few companies do this but not all).

One of the best places to start is an internet search and charities, NGOs and publishers whose work specifically focuses on investigating the actions of corporations. These include Corporate Watch, Corp Watch and Ethical Consumer. These have up-to-the-minute publications detailing the actions of corporations, any environmental or human rights abuses that they might be linked with and provide a view that the corporation themselves will often not tell you.

In addition, make sure you read articles in both the mainstream and alternative press. Places like the Financial Times and the Guardian can give you a clearer picture of companies’ actions, although you again need to be aware of media bias. You can also ask questions in your interview about a company’s stance on ethical issues or any areas of concern you may have.

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