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More employees are working side gigs or side hustles to augment their full-time jobs. Some do it for financial reasons, while others enjoy doing something different from their 9 to 5, like blogging, baking or bartending. However, as beneficial as outside employment can be, it poses potential risks of conflicts of interest.
For example, it’s a potential conflict of interest if employees: Read On
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Dealing with public officials poses many ethical and compliance challenges for organizations that do business internationally. High on the list is the risk of bribery and corruption. Training employees and third parties on how to identify and interact with public officials can help minimize the risk of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) violations, while strengthening anti-corruption programs.
The FCPA is the principal federal law that makes it a crime to pay a bribe to a foreign public official for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. Jointly enforced by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the FCPA applies to any company that does business internationally or whose securities are listed in the US. Besides covering anti-bribery, the FCPA also has a books and records and internal controls provision. Both organizations and individuals can be held liable for violating the FCPA. Read On
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Workplace discrimination laws evolving
The news that EMC Corporation, a subsidiary of Dell, agreed to pay $110,000 to settle a transgender discrimination claim by a former employee highlights the evolving workplace discrimination laws affecting LGBT workers.
Even the federal government – the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) – is taking opposite views on whether sexual orientation and gender identity are protected under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
In the EMC case, the settlement with Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey involves a transgender woman, who was subjected to a hostile work environment because of her sex and gender identity. The former employee also claims she was denied job opportunities and then retaliated against for complaining of discrimination. Read On
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In a recent survey of 5,000 employees, only 25% said they believe their co-workers will do the right thing and behave ethically, according to CEB, now part of IT research firm Gartner.
Workers don’t see the same level of integrity and ethical behavior in frontline employees as they do in their senior leaders and direct managers, the survey said. That’s an interesting perspective, given the recent scandals involving senior executives behaving badly. As HR and compliance professionals know all too well, ethical lapses can and do occur at every level in an organization. Read On
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Agrees to conduct workplace harassment training
The news that Ford Motor Company has agreed to pay $10.1 million to resolve allegations of sexual and racial harassment at two of its plants in Chicago is yet another reminder for organizations in every industry to demonstrate their commitment to maintain a safe, productive, and harassment-free work environment or else face serious penalties.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) said that its investigation into the charges found “reasonable cause” to believe that Ford workers at an assembly plant and stamping plant in the Chicago area had subjected female and African American employees to sexual and racial harassment, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Read On
