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Topic: Ethics Training - Compliance Training
Former SEC Chief Criticizes Dodd-Frank’s Corporate Whistleblower Programs
Posted by Shanti Atkins
What do I have in common with Harvey Pitt, former chairman of the SEC? We both object to Dodd Frank’s corporate whistleblower provisions - a program that incentivizes employees to report unlawful conduct directly to the SEC, bypassing internal compliance programs.
The SEC’s Final Dodd-Frank Rules Turn Employees into Bounty Hunters
Posted by Shanti Atkins
In my post following the SEC’s release of the Final Rules implementing the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, I warned employers of the huge risks faced by the Commission’s position on internal reporting. In short, employees are not required to make an internal complaint to their organization before they can go to the SEC with their concerns about unlawful conduct or retaliation related to federal securities laws.
SEC Releases Much-Awaited Dodd Frank Rules - And the News Isn’t Good
Posted by Shanti Atkins
Compliance, ethics, legal and HR professionals in publicly traded companies and across the financial services industry have been patiently waiting (or should I say hoping) for good news from the SEC.
What were they hoping for? That the Commission wouldn’t undermine their internal compliance programs.
Unfortunately, this week, the SEC delivered bad news when it released the Final Rules implementing the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act
NLRB Settles Facebook Case - Why All Employers, Including Non-Union Employers, Should Care
Posted by Shanti Atkins
Remember the NLRB case from last October involving a worker who was fired because of her Facebook posts? Hard to forget it. It was all over the news and web.
This week, the case settled. The employee will not return to work, and specifics about a cash settlement have not been disclosed. However, the NLRB has issued a press release, including details about the non-monetary components of the settlement.
Brand-New US Supreme Court Retaliation Case - Third Party Claims
Posted by Shanti Atkins
For the third time in five years, the United States Supreme Court has ruled on a claim of unlawful retaliation in the employment discrimination context. Yesterday, the Court handed down its decision in Thompson v. North American Stainless, LP, No. 09-291, U.S. Supreme Court (January 24, 2011). And also for the third consecutive time, the Supreme Court has sided with the aggrieved employee, and expanded retaliation protections for individuals.
Retaliation and Race Top Just-Released EEOC Charge Statistics
Posted by Shanti Atkins
On November 30, 2010, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released its preliminary charge filing statistics for the 2010 Fiscal Year, showing that the EEOC had received the highest number of discrimination charges in its 45-year history.
Today, the EEOC issued a much more detailed report on these statistics, indicating specific trends that drove the record number of charges in 2010.
An Ounce of Prevention…Managing the Threat of Workplace Violence
Posted by Shanti Atkins
Recent workplace tragedies remind us that it's more important than ever to focus on prevention and safety. That's why I'm dedicating my blog this week to workplace violence and bullying prevention.
EEOC Announces Highest Number of Discrimination Charges in Agency’s 45-Year History
Posted by Shanti Atkins
Just released Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charge statistics for FY 2010 set yet another record - both in number of charges, and total dollars recovered from employers. On the heels of two consecutive years of record high charges in 2008 and 2009, the 2010 statistics demonstrate a resilient and powerful trend of increased exposure to costly discrimination claims.
Where Were BP’s Whistleblowers? Ethics & Accountability Beyond the Board Room.
Posted by Shanti Atkins
As BP continues its efforts to cap the devastating oil spill in the gulf, government officials are directing their investigations to accountability and prevention. It is becoming glaringly obvious that holes in BPs workplace policies, culture, and ethics are serious culprits in our nation's largest environmental disaster on record.
The Mess Before the Spill: How BPs Workplace Culture & Policies Could Hold the Key to Accountability
Posted by Shanti Atkins
As the BP Corporation struggles to cap-off its unprecedented oil spill, government officials and investigative reporters have already begun digging to uncover how a disaster of this magnitude could happen. With Obama promising to tighten federal oversight of the fuel companies, liability for this tragedy will likely spread as wide as the oil slick.
