This act came in to force with effect from 1st July 2011.
The act makes bribery within the workplace a corporate offence if it is proved that organisations have failed to prevent bribery by people working for or on behalf of the business.
As an employer:
- You need to show you have adequate procedures in place to prevent bribery either by or of people associated with your organisation.
To do this you can provide risk assessments and communications to all employees relating to your bribery policies and procedures.
The consequences of not acknowledging this act are unlimited fines and lengthy prison sentences, of up to 10 years. Should you be found guilty of acts of bribery within your organisation.
So, what does ‘bribery’ include?
Providing clients with:
- Gifts
- Hospitality and entertainment (reasonable and proportionate corporate hospitality is permitted).
In return for their business
There are 4 new criminal offences linked to this act:
1. Bribing another
2. Being bribed
3. Bribing a foreign public official
4. Failure by a commercial organisation to prevent bribery or preventing an ‘associated person’ from bribing a third party for the benefit of the organisation
a. (associated person – agents, employees, consultants, agency
workers andvolunteers)
What do you need to do?
It is therefore important to ensure your employees are clear on your policy regarding bribery in the workplace and for you to have reporting mechanisms in place internally so employees can let you know of their concerns if they notice anything.
