Imagine this scenario: You and a colleague – let’s call him “Ed” – have worked together in the accounting department of a mid-sized corporation for several years and earn roughly the same salary. You’ve noticed that Ed has made several major purchases over the past year or so – a brand-new luxury automobile, an expensive […]
As companies continue to focus on global expansion to take advantage of growth opportunities in emerging markets around the world, they may also become more susceptible to bribery. Many U.S.-based companies quickly discover that taking or offering bribes is an accepted and even expected business practice in many foreign nations. However, the implementation of stricter […]
Most organizations recognize the importance of ethics and compliance and the impact it has on business results, brand reputation and employee morale. But an effective ethics and compliance program requires much more than simply drawing up a code of conduct and a set of rules and regulations and hoping for the best. Sufficient training is […]
Establishing an ethics and compliance program is an important – and necessary – step for any organization that wants to maintain a strong ethical cultural. However, workplace retaliation claims can undermine your program’s integrity and even make your organization the target of a lawsuit. They can also cause significant damage to your organization’s reputation and […]
While ethical breaches that occur in Fortune 500 companies tend to get the most publicity, they also happen with great frequency in small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). According to the National Defense Industrial Association, the overwhelming majority of organizations that are suspended or debarred from engaging in government contract work due to ethical misconduct are […]
The Millennial generation, which includes individuals born from 1982 to 2000, has become the largest living generation in the U.S., surpassing Baby Boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964). More Millennials are entering the workforce each year – by 2020, they will comprise roughly half of the labor force, and the figure is expected to […]
New regulations and greater enforcement both domestically and abroad are putting increased pressures on compliance officers. In the United States, regulatory bodies, including the Securities and Exchange Commission, are upping their enforcement efforts due to newly enacted laws and published regulations, as well as being provided with greater enforcement personnel. Andrew Careens, the SEC’s co-director […]
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times….” Charles Dickens penned those famous words to capture an era in England. The Wall Street Journal struck a similar note with the headline it gave to an article that summarized the results of the Ethics Resource Center’s 2011 National Ethics Survey (NES): “Survey […]
Review the line below taken from the employment webpage of a medium-sized organization: Applicants that have used marijuana within 18 months from the date of their application submission will not be eligible for hire. It seems like pretty standard fare, doesn’t it? But considering all the states that have legalized marijuana use for medical purposes […]