Financial Regulatory Forum

By Stuart Gittleman, Compliance Complete

NEW YORK, Dec. 10 (Thomson Reuters Accelus) – Preventing fraud, not just reacting once it occurs, should be the goal of every corporate compliance program, but business has a mixed record in encouraging employees to report suspected misconduct internally, speakers at a Thomson Reuters forum said Tuesday.

Preventing fraud and encouraging internal reporting has also been mandatory for public companies since 2002. Among other things, Section 301 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires issuers’ audit committees to establish procedures for employees to confidentially and anonymously submit concerns over questionable accounting or auditing matters. And Section 806 of Sarbanes-Oxley generally prohibits issuers from retaliating against employees for raising these concerns. (more…)

By Stuart Gittleman

NEW YORK, Sept. 12 (Thomson Reuters Accelus) - Rewards like the $104 million the Internal Revenue Service said Tuesday it would pay a convicted felon would not occur under a similar Securities and Exchange Commission program, a former official who helped develop the program told Compliance Complete. (more…)

By Julie DiMauro

NEW YORK, Sept. 6 (Thomson Reuters Accelus) - Retaliation against workplace whistleblowers is rising sharply, expanding into previously safe categories of employees such as senior-level managers and even in workplaces with notably strong ethical cultures, a study found.

The trend comes as new regulations require more formal reporting channels for internal whistleblowing and more managers use them, study sponsors said. They recommended that companies more closely monitor what happens to whistleblowers after they report. (more…)

By Emmanuel Olaoye

NEW YORK, Feb. 9 (Thomson Reuters Accelus) - Two vivid reminders of the job-security perils faced by compliance officers and others who sound alarms at company practices were provided last week by a congressional hearing into the MF Global bankruptcy and a federal appeals court ruling on whistleblower law.

The risks may be part of the job, but skillful management of internal policies and wise self-protection can help avoid career-threatening retaliation, experts said. (more…)