We believe that leadership is a continuous journey rather than a destination. Our mission is to empower forensic professionals with lifelong leadership skills, whether at the bench or in the lab director's chair. By improving the leadership abilities of professionals who influence the criminal justice system, we commit to enhancing and supporting the public good.
Our vision is a system of collaborative forensic laboratories that promotes the open exchange of scientific information and debate. This collaboration will eventually provide the public with valid, reliable, accurate, and well-communicated forensic services to the criminal justice community.
We aim to continuously improve leadership in the forensics industry by equipping aspiring leaders with the confidence and skills to advance in their careers and excel in their roles with more accessible leadership development solutions.
Remain Flexible - We cultivate a culture of adaptability and flexibility in our course offerings and services, recognizing that individual needs may vary. The ability to adjust quickly is an essential leadership skill.
Exemplify Leadership - Effective leadership encompasses more than superior people management or having all the answers. We aim to help our members develop self-awareness and a comprehensive skillset to become well-rounded leaders.
Earn Trust - The relationships between forensic practitioners, the criminal justice community, and law enforcement require robust public trust. Effective leadership is crucial to a forensic laboratory's success, as trust is integral to the efficacy of the criminal justice process, impacting citizens' lives and well-being.
Strive for Consistency - Consistency between words and actions is a hallmark of authentic and integral leadership, demonstrating credibility and reliability to others.
Our business’s success depends on the trust and confidence we earn from our employees, customers, and other stakeholders. We gain credibility by adhering to our commitments, displaying honesty and integrity, and reaching company goals solely through honorable conduct. It is easy to say what we must do, but the proof is in our actions. Ultimately, we will be judged on what we do.
When considering any action, it is wise to ask: Will this build trust and credibility for FLTC? Will it help create a working environment in which FLTC can succeed over the long term? Is the commitment I am making one I can follow through with? We will only maximize trust and credibility by answering “yes” to those questions and working daily to build our trust and credibility.
We all deserve to work in an environment where we are treated with dignity and respect. FLTC is committed to creating such an environment because it brings out the full potential in each of us, which, in turn, contributes directly to our business success. We cannot afford to let anyone’s talents go to waste.
FLTC is an Affirmative Action/equal opportunity employer committed to providing a workplace free of discrimination of all types and from abusive, offensive, or harassing behavior. Employees who feel harassed or discriminated against should report the incident to their manager or human resources.
All FLTC employees are also expected to support an inclusive workplace by adhering to the following conduct standards:
FLTC will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, or any behavior or language that is abusive, offensive, or unwelcome.
At FLTC, everyone should feel comfortable speaking their mind, particularly concerning ethics concerns. Managers are responsible for creating an open and supportive environment where employees feel comfortable raising such questions. We all benefit tremendously when employees exercise their power to prevent mistakes or wrongdoing by asking the right questions at the right times.
FLTC will investigate all reported instances of questionable or unethical behavior. In every instance where improper conduct is found to have occurred, the company will take appropriate action. We will not tolerate retaliation against employees who raise genuine ethical concerns in good faith.
For your information, FLTC’s whistleblower policy is as follows:
In the first instance, employees are encouraged to address such issues with their managers or the HR manager, as most problems can be resolved swiftly. If, for any reason, that is not possible or if an employee is not comfortable raising the issue with their manager or HR, FLTC’s Executive Director does operate with an open-door policy.
Management has the added responsibility of demonstrating, through their actions, the importance of this Code. In any business, ethical behavior does not simply happen; it is the product of clear and direct communication of behavioral expectations, modeled from the top and demonstrated by example. Again, ultimately, our actions are what matters.
To make our Code work, managers must be responsible for promptly addressing ethical questions or concerns raised by employees and for taking the appropriate steps to deal with such issues. Managers should not consider employees’ ethics concerns as threats or challenges to their authority but rather as another encouraged form of business communication. At FLTC, we want the ethics dialogue to become a natural part of daily work.
FLTC’s commitment to integrity begins with complying with laws, rules, and regulations where we do business. Further, each of us must have an understanding of the company policies, laws, rules, and regulations that apply to our specific roles. If we are unsure whether a contemplated action is permitted by law or FLTC policy, we should seek advice from the resource expert. We are responsible for preventing violations of the law and for speaking up if we see possible violations.
Because of the nature of our business, some legal requirements warrant specific mention here.
We are dedicated to ethical, fair, and vigorous competition. We will sell FLTC products and services based on their merit, superior quality, functionality, and competitive pricing. We will make independent pricing and marketing decisions and will not improperly cooperate or coordinate our activities with our competitors. We will not offer or solicit improper payments or gratuities in connection with the purchase of goods or services for FLTC or the sales of its products or services, nor will we engage or assist in unlawful boycotts of particular customers.
We must respect the property rights of others. We will not acquire or seek to acquire improper means of a competitor’s trade secrets or other proprietary or confidential information. We will not engage in the unauthorized use, copying, distribution, or alteration of software or other intellectual property.
We will not selectively disclose (whether in one-on-one or small discussions, meetings, presentations, proposals, or otherwise) any material nonpublic information concerning FLTC, its securities, business operations, plans, financial condition, results of operations, or any development plan. We should be particularly vigilant when making presentations or proposals to customers to ensure that our presentations do not contain material nonpublic information.
FLTC is dedicated to maintaining a healthy environment. If any health and safety concerns arise, consult your manager or the Executive Director.
We must avoid any relationship or activity that might impair, or even appear to impair, our ability to make objective and fair decisions when performing our jobs. At times, we may be faced with situations where the business actions we take on behalf of FLTC may conflict with our personal or family interests. We owe a duty to FLTC to advance its legitimate interests when the opportunity arises. We must never use FLTC property or information for personal gain or take for ourselves any opportunity discovered through our position with FLTC.
Here are some other ways in which conflicts of interest could arise:
Determining whether a conflict of interest exists is not always easy to do. Employees with a conflict-of-interest question should seek advice from management. Before engaging in any activity, transaction, or relationship that might give rise to a conflict of interest, employees must seek review from their managers or the Executive Director.
FLTC is committed to competing solely on the merit of our products and services. We should avoid any actions that create a perception that favorable treatment of outside entities by FLTC was sought, received, or given in exchange for personal business courtesies. Business courtesies include gifts, gratuities, meals, refreshments, entertainment, or other benefits from persons or companies with whom FLTC does or may do business. We will neither give nor accept business courtesies that constitute nor could reasonably be perceived as constituting unfair business inducements that would violate the law, regulation, or policies of FLTC or customers or would cause embarrassment or reflect negatively on FLTC’s reputation.
Most business courtesies offered to us in the course of our employment are offered because of our positions at FLTC. We should not feel any entitlement to accept and keep a business courtesy. Although we may not use our position at FLTC to obtain business courtesies, and we must never ask for them, we may accept unsolicited business courtesies that promote successful working relationships and goodwill with the firms that FLTC maintains or may establish a business relationship with.
Employees who award contracts or who can influence the allocation of business, who create specifications that result in the placement of business, or who participate in the negotiation of agreements must be conscientious about avoiding actions that create the appearance of favoritism, or that may adversely affect the company’s reputation for impartiality and fair dealing. The prudent course is to refuse a courtesy from a supplier when FLTC is involved in choosing or reconfirming a supplier or under circumstances that would create an impression that offering courtesies is the way to obtain FLTC business.
We may accept occasional meals, refreshments, entertainment, and similar business courtesies that are shared with the person who has offered to pay for the meal or entertainment provided that:
Employees may accept unsolicited gifts, other than money, that conform to the reasonable ethical practices of the marketplace, including:
Generally, employees may not accept compensation, honoraria, or money of any amount from entities with whom FLTC does or may do business. Tangible gifts (including tickets to a sporting or entertainment event) that have a market value greater than $100 may not be accepted unless approval is obtained from management.
Employees with questions about accepting business courtesies should talk to their managers or the Executive Director.
Any employee who offers a business courtesy must ensure that it cannot reasonably be interpreted as an attempt to gain an unfair business advantage or otherwise reflect negatively upon FLTC. An employee may never use personal funds or resources to do something that cannot be done with FLTC resources. Accounting for business courtesies must be done per approved company procedures.
Other than to our government customers, for whom special rules apply, we may provide nonmonetary gifts (i.e., company logo apparel or similar promotional items) to our customers. Further, management may approve other courtesies, including meals, refreshments, or entertainment of reasonable value, provided that:
We will ensure that all disclosures in financial reports and public documents are complete, fair, accurate, timely, and understandable. This obligation applies to all employees, including all financial executives, with any responsibility for preparing such reports, including drafting, reviewing, and signing or certifying the information contained therein. No business goal is ever an excuse for misrepresenting facts or falsifying records.
Employees should inform Executive Management if they learn that information in any filing or public communication was untrue or misleading at the time it was made or if subsequent information would affect a similar future filing or public communication.
We create, retain, and dispose of our company records as part of our regular course of business in compliance with all FLTC policies and guidelines and all regulatory and legal requirements.
All corporate records must be true, accurate, and complete, and company data must be promptly and accurately entered into our books per FLTC and other applicable accounting principles.
We must not improperly influence, manipulate, or mislead any unauthorized audit, nor interfere with any auditor engaged to perform an independent internal audit of FLTC books, records, processes, or internal controls.
At times, we are all faced with decisions we would rather not have to make and issues we would prefer to avoid. Sometimes, we hope that if we avoid confronting a problem, it will simply go away.
At FLTC, we must have the courage to tackle tough decisions and make difficult choices, secure in the knowledge that FLTC is committed to doing the right thing. At times this will mean doing more than simply what the law requires. Merely because we can pursue a course of action does not mean we should do so.
Although FLTC’s guiding principles cannot address every issue or answer every dilemma, they can define the spirit in which we intend to do business and should guide us in our daily conduct.
Each of us is responsible for knowing and adhering to the values and standards outlined in this Code and for raising questions if we are uncertain about company policy. If we are concerned whether the criteria are being met or are aware of violations of the Code, we must contact the Executive Director.
FLTC takes seriously the standards outlined in the Code, and violations are cause for disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.
Integral to FLTC’s business success is our protection of confidential company information and nonpublic information entrusted to us by employees, customers, and other business partners. Confidential and proprietary information includes pricing and financial data, customer names/addresses, or nonpublic information about other companies, including current or potential suppliers and vendors. Without a valid business purpose and proper authorization, we will not disclose confidential and nonpublic information.
Company resources are provided for business use, including time, material, equipment, and information. Nonetheless, occasional personal use is permissible as long as it does not affect job performance or cause a disruption to the workplace.
Employees and those who represent FLTC are trusted to behave responsibly and use good judgment to conserve company resources. Managers are responsible for the resources assigned to their departments and are empowered to resolve issues concerning their proper use.
Generally, we will not use company equipment such as computers, copiers, and fax machines in the conduct of an outside business or the support of any religious, political, or other outside daily activity, except for company-requested support to nonprofit organizations. We will not solicit contributions nor distribute non-work-related materials during work hours.
In order to protect the interests of the FLTC network and our fellow employees, FLTC reserves the right to monitor or review all data and information on an employee’s company-issued computer or electronic device, the use of the Internet, or FLTC’s intranet. We will not tolerate the use of company resources to create, access, store, print, solicit or send any materials that are harassing, threatening, abusive, sexually explicit, or otherwise offensive or inappropriate.
Questions about properly using company resources should be directed to your manager.
FLTC is a high-profile company in our community, and from time to time, employees may be approached by reporters and other members of the media. In order to ensure that we speak with one voice and provide accurate information about the company, we should direct all media inquiries to the Executive Director. No one may issue a press release without consulting the Executive Director.
Several key questions can help identify situations that may be unethical, inappropriate, or illegal. Ask yourself:
Access the learning you need to level up your forensics career at your fingertips – from the crime scene to the laboratory, day or night.
Affordability - We're on a mission to democratize leadership development with affordable programs, courses, and coaching, all without sacrificing quality. You shouldn't have to pay for executive-level training that doesn't fit your position. We want to provide quality service that meets you where you are.
Flexibility - We know crime scenes don't occur on a regular schedule, and rush cases can come into the lab at any time. That's why we're offering a flexible and comprehensive leadership development solution that's easily accessible at any time and from anywhere in the world.
Community - You are part of a unique professional community that's doing challenging work. We want to bring you and like-minded peers together with a network that is welcoming and supportive.
Personalization - You are a unique person, with individual needs, goals, and challenges at work. That's why we're offering you the chance to work with a coach who can guide you through those tough times and situations that are uniquely yours.
