Compliance and integrity
Compliance and integrity are featuring ever more prominently in an organisation’s policy agenda. Employers have to contend with a growing maze of national and international legislation and regulations. Compliance with them is essential if sanctions and reputational harm are to be avoided, as is management requiring ethical conduct.
Confidence building, the retention of market position and the attraction of talent
Effective action in these areas can promote the development of trust in your business on the part of both your staff and the customers for your products and services. Such trust is essential, if you are to retain your market position and attract talent. A sound integrity policy can minimise stress and uncertainty amongst staff. This in turn can reduce sickness absence, involve personnel and contribute towards a positive working culture.
Although it is essential to pursue compliance and integrity, it is not always easy to do so. Various issues may arise, involving sexual or other forms of intimidation, discrimination, aggression, fraud, theft, the consumption of drugs, conflicts of interest, the abuse of power, the misuse of information, confidentiality breaches or misconduct outside office hours.
Crisis management: control and remediation
Compliance and ethical behaviour may be encouraged through sound policy and enforcement, although issues can never be entirely avoided. Compliance incidents therefore need to be dealt with appropriately and expeditiously.
Any business or other organisation in crisis needs to adopt appropriate measures to manage the situation and to ensure remediation where possible. Our experts can offer legal crisis management and, where necessary, they can work together with forensic and related investigators, communication consultants and other experts. Our goal is to help your business overcome crises and minimise harm.
The pursuit of preventive policy
What is deemed to constitute compliance and ethical conduct may differ from one business – even an operational team – to another. Consequently, such policy demands a tailored approach. It is important that any policy on integrity be recorded in writing, accord with the organisation’s values and requirements, and be integrated within its culture. The following matters are relevant in this respect:
- Codes of conduct and other protocols
- Reporting and complaints handling procedures
- Whistleblowing procedures
- Staff screening, taking into account their privacy rights
- Internal and external personal counsellors
Disciplinary and other measures, and legal proceedings
Various measures may be adopted, where a current or former employee has acted unethically. They vary from leave of absence with full pay, an official warning and demotion to suspension or even dismissal.
The above-mentioned matters demand labour law specialists who have extensive experience of litigation in various fields, including dismissals, discrimination disputes, business confidentiality breaches and attachments. Dirkzwager is ready to use its expertise and experience to provide practical support to your organisation in its efforts to secure legal compliance and integrity.
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