Imagine an employee facing a difficult ethical decision. They open the company's code of conduct, scroll through several pages, try a few searches, and still can't find an answer. Eventually, they give up.
Was the code too long? Or simply too hard to use?
When employees complain about length, the natural response is to cut pages and simplify content. But that might be solving the wrong problem.
LRN's 2026 Code of Conduct Report found that nearly one in four employees say their code is too long or difficult to navigate. Yet codes rated as more effective averaged 36 pages, compared with just 11 pages for less effective codes.
That doesn't mean longer is better. More effective codes tend to cover more of the elements LRN evaluates, which often requires more space. But it challenges a common assumption: Maybe the problem isn't how much information we're giving employees. Maybe it's how hard we're making them work to find it.
Employees need answers, not fewer pages
Most employees don't read the code from beginning to end. They're looking for answers: Can I accept this gift? How do I handle a conflict of interest? Where can I raise a concern?
Yet about one in five employees say their code lacks practical guidance, and a similar share struggle to find specific information.
A well-organized 40-page code with clear headings, useful links, and practical examples may be easier to use than a confusing 15-page document.
Length and usability aren't the same thing.
Good design goes beyond navigation
More than 80% of codes analyzed by LRN have a good layout, and about two-thirds include a table of contents. But only four in ten include an ethical decision-making model, and fewer than one in three offer real-life scenarios or Q&As.
A table of contents helps employees find the rules. A realistic scenario helps them understand how to apply them. A useful code needs to do both.
Three ways to make your code work harder
Before cutting pages from your next code refresh, consider three improvements:
- Organize around employee questions. Use clear headings, intuitive navigation, and searchable content. Ask employees to find answers to common ethical questions and see where they struggle.
- Give the quick answer first. Start with clear expectations, then provide examples, scenarios, and links to more detailed guidance.
- Make the code a gateway, not a warehouse. Connect employees to relevant policies, training, reporting channels, and people who can help, rather than reproducing every policy in the code.
Then test whether the changes work. Can employees find answers faster? Do they understand what to do?
As business risks grow more complex, employees need comprehensive guidance that's easy to find and apply. Simply making the code shorter won't automatically accomplish that.
The best code isn't necessarily the shortest one. It's the one that helps employees make the right decision when it matters.
Download LRN's 2026 Code of Conduct Report, The culture behind the code: Turning standards into everyday decisions.
