Ethics Policies and Guidelines
Since 2013, gbi has adopted ethics guidelines focused on accountability, integrity, and impartiality, values we share and strive to promote. We believe it is essential to uphold the ethical standards of our profession to ensure the trust our clients place in us is maintained.
From the time of hire, each employee is required to review gbi’s ethics guidelines and complete a related questionnaire, which is then archived in the employee’s file.
Our Commitment
The consulting engineering sector is a key component of Quebec’s economy and faces significant challenges in an ever-changing business environment. Year after year, project after project, gbi has distinguished itself, earning a prominent place in the consulting engineering landscape.
In this context, demonstrating our expertise must rely on the development and adoption of good governance tools designed to uphold the ethical principles promoted by our firm. Accountability, integrity, and impartiality are values we share and are committed to promoting.
The reputation gbi enjoys has taken years to build and represents a long-term, valuable asset that we can all be proud of. Each gbi employee is therefore obligated, on a daily basis, to conduct business in an exemplary manner, within a framework of fair competition based on competence.
Let us now collectively review our guidelines, organized into six categories.
Ethics Guidelines
Each employee demonstrates respect for themselves and for everyone they interact with in the performance of their duties. They act with objectivity, courtesy, attentiveness, and discretion toward all individuals they engage with. They also exercise diligence and avoid any form of discrimination. Specifically, they must :
- Perform their duties in a manner that protects public health, safety, and well-being while seeking solutions compatible with the principles of sustainable development.
- Act at all times within the limits of their competencies and in a way that respects the dignity, reputation, and credibility of the consulting engineering sector.
- For engineers, ensure compliance with the Professional Code (L.R.Q., c. C‑26), the Engineers Act (L.R.Q., c. I‑9), and the Code of Ethics for Engineers (L.R.Q., I‑9, r. 6).
- Promote the four core values of the OIQ: competence, ethical sense, responsibility, and social commitment.
- Refrain from any action, deliberate or otherwise, that could harm the reputation or business of others.
- Maintain respectful and courteous behavior, in compliance with all applicable legislation, when asked to evaluate, review, or continue the work of another firm.
Each employee performs their duties with professionalism, drawing on their knowledge, skills, and experience. They accept responsibility for their decisions and actions and use the resources and information available to them wisely. Specifically, they must :
- Keep their knowledge and skills up to date, including in areas of technological development, legislation, and management.
- Act with the competence, prudence, and diligence required in providing services to clients.
- Ensure they are qualified to carry out any assigned task or mandate, and if not, seek guidance from their supervisor.
Each employee conducts themselves in a fair and honest manner and demonstrates loyalty to gbi and the profession. They maintain independence of judgment and avoid situations in which a person or circumstance could unduly influence their professional duties. Specifically, they must :
- Act at all times in the legitimate interest of the client and public safety, providing professional services with integrity and transparency.
- Inform their supervisor and the client of any real, potential, or perceived conflict of interest that may arise during the execution of a mandate.
- Ensure that management, supervisors, employees, and representatives comply with the laws, regulations, and ethical obligations that govern them, whether specific or general.
- Refuse any payment, benefit, favor, or other advantage that could compromise their independent judgment.
- Promptly report, even when in doubt, any act, event, or communication that contravenes these guidelines, without fear of retaliation from the company, using the anonymous reporting service Alias when appropriate.
gbi strongly condemns any form of collusion or corruption and expects every employee to act at all times with integrity, honesty, and good faith. Specifically, each employee must :
- Strictly refuse to engage, directly or indirectly, in any form of collusion or corruption, and immediately report any such behavior encountered in the workplace.
- Refuse to offer or accept any form of remuneration that is intended, or could be perceived as intended, to influence a service, selection process, or any other act related to their employment.
- Promote open and fair competition by avoiding any business arrangement that aims to eliminate or discourage competitors, or provides an undue advantage that could hinder the free market for qualified companies or suppliers.
- Fully cooperate with any legally constituted investigative body.
All employees and members of management are aware that they represent gbi and the profession to clients and the public. They carry out their duties in accordance with ethical principles and good faith, and must specifically :
- Provide written acknowledgment of these guidelines and commit to applying and promoting them.
- Commit to handling any information regarding behavior that may contravene these guidelines with discretion and respect. Reports will be thoroughly analyzed and investigated to implement necessary corrective actions, without retaliation against the person who contributed to maintaining gbi’s ethical standards.
- Communicate with the person responsible for ethics in the event of a real or perceived situation that goes against these guidelines.
- Inform gbi without delay of any investigation by the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec.
This measure is not disciplinary in nature but is intended to uphold gbi’s ethical standards.