Compliance: A Bad Word with Good Intentions
If we lose the awareness of the history of what drove the necessity for such protections, then we are more likely to revert back to our most natural behaviors and mindsets. We are less likely to value the very principles in each of these laws, and we are less likely to practice empathy and respect for those groups. If we find the requirements burdensome and a waste of time, then we are less likely to observe and fight against the very behaviors prohibited by these laws and policies.
What Does Working From Home Mean for Workplace Romance?
There’s a fine line between acceptable workplace romance and acts that violate policy or create potential liability for the company. That’s where HR steps in with workplace dating and relationship policies, stopping unwelcomed advances and putting clear limits and expectations in policies that deal with coworker relationships, especially with employees in the same reporting structure or, even worse, between managers and employees.
The Growth of State-Specific Data Protection Laws in the U.S.
There is no serious traction for a national data protection law in the United States. But some forward-leaning states have taken action and put state-specific laws into place. It’s essential to understand who those laws impact (and who they don’t).
Anti-bullying Programs for Schools: How to Protect Children as a Parent
We talk a lot about what schools can do to improve their anti-bullying programs, but it never crossed my mind that parents play a role in ensuring their children aren’t instigators. There’s only so much a school or a third-party vendor like us can do. Of course, it’s not our place as a software provider to address this problem, but we must keep the whole picture in mind when we’re considering how we can play a part in eliminating bullying.
Inspiring the Best of Your Best
Most business leaders will say that they wish they had more “A” players in their company. Sometimes you hear this from a new manager who inherited a team that is underperforming. Other times, from a leader who traditionally overperformed, but over time his team has changed with normal transition, and now he’s in the middle of the pack. We know what they mean when they say this – they wish they had more employees who don’t just exceed goals but crush them.
Who Let the Dogs Out? ETHIX360's Top 3 Predictions for GRC in 2023
I suppose this won’t be the first set of predictions you’ll read on the state of the risk and compliance market for 2023, nor the last. At ETHIX360 we try to identify a few different trends: one that should have already happened, one that people think has happened but hasn’t, and one that delivers a piece of tomorrow into our world today. If not today, at least one day in 2023!
Clear Policy Management Is Your Compliance Program's Best Defense
Some may say the purpose of an investigation is to uncover the truth, and that’s true, but what’s the process or business focus? Really very simple: Did the behavior alleged rise to be a violation of a published policy? Although the question is direct and succinct on the surface, there’s a lot to unpack there.
2022 Voting Leave Notices Are Essential for Upholding Employee Rights
Several jurisdictions require that a notice about employees’ voting rights be posted in a conspicuous location in the workplace. Employees who work from home or don’t report to the workplace regularly should be provided with these notices electronically.
How to Defend Your Company Against a Discrimination or Harassment Lawsuit
Risk management is fundamental to every organization, and those risks can come from anywhere. Environmental disasters, security breaches, third-party vendors, you name it. But one of the most dangerous risks to a company comes from the inside in the form of a wayward employee.
Is Your Compliance Training Changing Behaviors?
Opting for behavior-based training enables organizations to realize their compliance program goals by taking advantage of advances and best practices in modern training design that are proven to affect workplace behavior and culture.
False COVID-19 Medical Advice: Is the Doctor or the Hospital at Fault?
It's important not to make a judgement on how you personally feel about pandemic-related guidance. Instead, consider what obligation an institution has or does not have to manage the guidance. And what happens if they choose to take a blind eye towards it?
The CROWN Act: Inclusive Dress Codes Encourage Workplace Diversity
If your company is in a state where the CROWN Act has already been passed, you need to seriously review your dress code and ensure that hair discrimination will not slide. You may want to consider it even if it isn’t yet law in your state because the fight against hair discrimination is gaining momentum federally and may become your reality soon.
How to Save Time Updating Corporate Policies
Smaller HR teams have a full plate operationally – between onboarding, offboarding, payroll, and benefits management, where will they find the time to author the new policies they desperately need and update the existing ones to conform to changing legislation and reflect cultural norms?
ETHIX360 Receives Clean SOC 2 Type II Audit Report
We are excited to announce that ETHIX360 has successfully completed a System and Organization Controls (SOC) 2 Type II audit, performed by Sensiba San Filippo, LLP (SSF).
How to Improve Your Corporate Compliance Program With the Help of the Department of Justice
Periodically, the US Department of Justice Criminal Division updates and releases guidelines for prosecutors for the evaluation of corporate compliance programs. Increasingly, the lines are blurred around liability between the bad actor who caused the incident, the permissive environment that allowed it to go previously undetected, and the company.
Texts: Who Owns Them? And Why Does That Matter?
Do you issue company-owned phones? Or do you allow (maybe even encourage) employees to “BYOD” (bring your own device) and use it for work purposes? Two very different scenarios here, as company-owned phones are a company asset, and all the contents of those phones is generally considered to be the property of the company. However, BYOD adds a layer of complexity to the discussion, especially if the employee owns the phone number and the device.
It's Time to Admit That Data Privacy Legislation Is a Disaster
The tech giants who abuse the privacy rights of individuals still do and still will. Meanwhile, the many businesses who were already protective of their data now have to spend a fortune and dilute their focus to comply with legislation that in large part does nothing except help a few politicians pound on their chest.
4 Things to Consider When Authoring Your Data Privacy Policy
While compliance professionals are allowed to rip off mattress tags and ignore email disclaimers, we actually have to author and enforce data privacy notices. Almost every application and website under the sun uses the words "I accept the privacy policy" somewhere. Even with that checkbox, the added complexity of GDPR, CCPA, and other similar laws might trump your policy anyway.
How to Write and Enforce Strong Reasonable Accommodations Policies
July is Disability Pride Month, and this blog is not to belittle or prioritize any area of DEI over another, but rather to call out and focus on what companies can do to be more inclusive and support the needs of persons with disabilities.
Steps to Take Before Investing in an Expensive ESG System
Implementing well-designed policies regarding these issues, informing employees, and utilizing an internal reporting tool are all ways to set your company up for ESG success.