Identifying and Avoiding Bribery in Organisations

Avoiding Bribery in Organisations

The Bribery Act became law on 1st July 2011 and prosecutions can be brought against companies if bribery is found to have taken place and they have not taken ‘adequate’ steps to prevent it.  Individuals can also be prosecuted and face up to 10 years in prison if they’re found guilty.  And it will be an expensive mistake too as fines are unlimited.

The act is not intended to stop corporate hospitality so you can still take that client out to dinner without fear of the police knocking your door down at 5am.  However the level of hospitality must be reasonable and proportionate to the business.

Our new e-learning course on Identifying and Avoiding Bribery in Organisations is due for release next week and will help your staff  to recognise bribery, understand how and why it is illegal and appreciate the steps an organisation must take to protect itself .

The Ministry of Justice have outlined six principles to help you decide what you need to put in place, if anything. They are:

  • Proportionality
  • Top Level Committment
  • Risk Assessment
  • Due Dilligence
  • Communication
  • Monitoring and Review

You can find out more about The Bribery Act and these six principles in the Ministry of Justice’s Quick Start Guide .

The good news is that if you’ve already bribed someone (before 1st July) then you won’t be prosecuted under the new act so you’re ok  – as long as you can sleep at night :-)

Photo credit: Free Digital Photos

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