These statements provide a framework; they cannot and do not dictate conduct to cover particular situations. Ethics calls individuals to be innovative. We Believe that:
No employee or member should be treated as a mere means.
Our ethics justifies our actions, or explains the decision.
Business should respect people’s quality values or fundamental values: spiritual dimension, interpersonal dimension, intellectual dimension, intrapersonal dimension, aesthetic dimension, and corporeal dimension. Our business especially caters to the corporeal and aesthetic dimension but we strive to meet the other values as well.
Rules are limited so our ethics must aid in making the proper decision in areas that are gray within the law.
Business needs ethics to make corrective decisions or epieika. This means each of our people will become an author/authority of their decision, they will empower themselves and with knowledge of the situation and ethics, they will make a corrective rule when necessary.
Business is more than money or making profit; it is constructed by people and made of people to earn a profit and benefit society.
People’s fundamental human rights: the right to life, preservation of the species, sociality, to know, and to understand. Since we value fundamental rights we always respect people’s questions and give them answers when we can, and help them to understand, all done with a friendly attitude. We also value life and this is why we are in the fitness industry as fitness promotes a better life. People’s foundational human values of inner peace, love, justice, courage and moderation. Without values in our decision making and operation we would end up missing the first value of inner peace.
When deciding between two actions we believe in the principle of double effect. Our criterions are: 1) the good effects must outweigh the bad effects
2) nobody must want the bad effects
3) the good effects do not come from the bad effects
4) the good effects do not come after the bad effects and
5) The two effects must be synchronic.
ISSA members will:
1. Serve clients with integrity, competence, objectivity and impartiality, always putting the clients’ needs, interests and requests ahead of his/her own. Members must always strive for client satisfaction.
2. Recognize the value of continuing education by upgrading and improving their knowledge and skills on an annual or semi-annual basis. Members must keep abreast of relevant changes in all aspects of exercise programming theory and techniques.
3. Not knowingly endanger his or her clients or put his or her clients at risk. Unless they have allied health care licenses, members must stay within the realm of exercise training and lifestyle counseling with clients. Clients with special medical conditions must be referred to proper medical professionals.
4. Never attempt to diagnose an injury or any other medical or health-related condition.
5. Never prescribe or dispense any kind of medication whatsoever (including over-the-counter medications) to anyone.
6. Never attempt to treat any health condition or injury under any circumstance whatsoever (except as standard first aid or CPR procedure may require).
7. Never recommend exercise for anyone with a known medical problem without first obtaining clearance to do so and/or instructions from the attending qualified medical professional.
8. Ensure that CPR certification and knowledge of first aid procedures is current.
9. Work towards the ultimate goal of helping clients become more self-sufficient over time, reducing the number of supervised training sessions.
10. 10. Respect client confidentiality. All client information and records of client cases may not be released without written release from the client.
11. Charge fees that are reasonable, legitimate and commensurate with services delivered and the responsibility accepted. All additional fees and services must be disclosed to clients in advance.
12. Adhere to the highest standards of accuracy and truth in all dealings with clients, and will not advertise their services in a deceptive manner.
13. Not get intimately involved with their clients. Minimize problems by always maintaining a professional demeanor, not becoming overly friendly with clients, particularly of the opposite sex, and documenting training sessions, evaluations, and training programs. We cannot overemphasize this point: Be a professional and do not get involved with clients!
