There are many obstacles for employees to introduce discussions about ethical issues at workplaces. Some examples are the significance of maintaining smooth peer-relations and a strong group cohesion, as well as internal power relations. It is argued that in professions with strong ‘esprit de corps’ (such as rescue-services) the importance of friction free scenes supress the ability for various opinions and controversies in everyday discussions. This paper explores how local contracts about common principles on a group level can render opportunities for employees to address and negotiate existing values and norms, especially where there is a perceived suppressed communication climate on an institutional level. The paper focuses on a few cases from a field study in a police district, where some working groups highlighted the importance of continuously revising and discussing values on a group level. Departing from a theoretical perspective that focuses on the significance of social interaction, the paper analyses field observations, field notes and interviews with police employees on a subordinate level and first level managerial position. Artefacts, such as value contracts and an assessment of the contract, are also analysed. The preliminary findings shows how the use of a group contract and the assessment about the contract’s values and norms functions as a resource and creates a discursive space for group members to address and negotiate existing practices.