Effective compliance and adherence to company policy contributes directly to the growth and success of a company; policy is developed to describe a company’s expectations of its employees whilst also outlining guidance, rules and policy procedures. This is particularly important when it comes to confidentiality in a business.

Of all the issues that could have serious implications for a company if not adequately covered and regulated by company policy, the subject of confidentiality has to rank quite highly, due to the fact that its effects can be so far reaching.

It is not hard to see how an employee allowing trade secrets to fall into a competitor’s hands can have devastating effects on a company, with a resultant loss of business, competitiveness and ultimately revenue, which can then result in retrenchment of employees.

Whilst the loss of client details and records may not cause a loss of business or revenue, it could result in a loss of trust by clientele or cause a public relations disaster, not to mention the possibility of fraud and other forms of crime being carried out by those stealing the information.

This doesn’t only apply to clients but also to internal personnel, especially those who deal with sensitive issues relating to salaries, disciplinary hearings and outcomes, etc. Wouldn’t you agree that it would be appalling to have your personal information that you may have shared in confidence dispersed among other people? The question is whether the right people who possess the right qualities are appointed to handle such confidential information.

I can imagine that there is always someone willing to be the first to share the titbits on the latest scandal or to be first to tell all about the latest drama in the boardroom. It is bad enough that an individual is interested in sharing such information; however, what if the information is about dismissal, retrenchment or performance?  What if the information would prove to be detrimental to another person’s work and life? The sad thing is that confidential information often comes out as hearsay - the “grapevine”.

With the explosion of social networking, email and internet usage on a global scale, the sharing of confidential information, sometimes unwittingly, further raises the stakes of confidentiality. Therefore, a business must be effective in its use of company policy, confidentiality agreements, conflict of interest and non-competition clauses in order to guard against a loss of confidential information.

In certain cases, employees may find themselves carelessly or inadvertently disclosing company information or unwittingly faced with a conflict of interest. In such cases the employee should understand that the ethical thing to do is to communicate with management so as to have an opportunity to handle the situation. However, company policy must be clear in its ability to make provision for recompense in the event of such situations.
 
Whilst company policy is used to provide guidance and highlight expectations in employee conduct, it must also include the use of progressive discipline where there are violations of policy and agreements.

It must not be overlooked that the use of progressive discipline aids the ability to reason, and to use ethics constructively as the employee will be aware of the consequences of their actions should they decide to violate the polices that they have agreed to. 

About the author: Gomolemo is a marketing communication consultant & a published author in the Pretoria News and The Star Newspaper

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