Ethics committees (abbreviated to EC) can be found in different societal settings, such as health care ethics committees and research ethics committees as well as animal ethics committees, professional ethics committees, and bioethics committees. A company may also have an EC. An EC can be defined as a group of people who are appointed to address ethical issues by a company. ECs can be regarded as part of an broader ethics program, which companies use to improve and safeguard their ethics. ECs can be supported by an ethics office (see Ethics Officer), which can serve as a first contact for employees.