A Code of Conduct is not only intended to explain what is permitted and what is prohibited. Its purpose is to help people make better decisions when the right course of action is not obvious.
Ethical stress is the strain we experience when, for one reason or another, we are unable to act in an ethically responsible way or in accordance with our values. Situations in which we know what the right course of action would be but feel unable to follow it can be particularly stressful. It can also be deeply stressful when we do not know, or are unsure about, what we should do.