How will licensing affect employer/employee relations?
This question arose at several earlier meetings. Occasionally, members are asked to carry out duties that they feel are not consistent with professional ethics or standards of practice. As with any other profession, professional ethics and standards must take precedence. It is not sufficient to simply advise the employer or client of the consequences and then proceed to carry out instructions that violate professional ethics and standards. For example, a lawyer or accountant employed by a corporation or client cannot carry out unethical or illegal instructions without risk of suspension or discipline from the profession (i.e. lawyers must comply with their Code of Professional Conduct, and accountants with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles). Similarly, an engineer cannot perform work that does not comply with professional standards regardless of employer or client instructions. They must advise their employer or client of this and can point to professional directives and example
