In the post Sarbanes-Oxley workplace, the ever-evolving world of corporate compliance and risk management has been largely considered an issue for Legal and Accounting. The critical need for ethics and "Code of Conduct" training for the entire workplace, however, is changing that viewpoint, placing HR squarely at the compliance table. It is critical for HR professionals to understand the importance of ethics and code of conduct training, as well as how to provide it to their organizations.
Recent amendments to the Federal Sentencing Guidelines require both public and private companies to adopt comprehensive ethics and compliance programs, and to train all workers, from the top to the bottom of an organization, on these programs.
Practically speaking, this means employers must publish a "Code of Conduct" (a set of guidelines and policies to promote ethical conduct and prevent wrongdoing), and effectively educate people about the Code. Training typically addresses issues such as conflicts of interest, insider trading, harassment and discrimination prevention, confidentiality and gift giving/receiving. Certain components of SOX also require education about the Code of Conduct, particularly with respect to how employees can report suspected violations.
During this webcast, participants will learn about the legal requirements that mandate ethics and code of conduct training, as well as how to provide an effective and engaging training program for the entire organization. Bringing the Code of Conduct to life with high quality education that both prevents misconduct and protects the employer will clearly demand significant involvement and expertise from HR.