The beginning of any year is a time for reflection and a time for review of policies and procedures. Just as people undertake a clean-out and make their resolutions, so should business organisations ensure that they have reviewed their procedures and undertaken a thorough overhaul of their business needs.
Protect the business assets
Identify what is crucial to the business in terms of its intellectual and property assets.
Ascertain who has access and why. Review that need. Keep the access to reasonable numbers.
Ensure that staff sign a confidentiality agreement that is based on a reasonable analysis of the business need and is, therefore, enforceable in the event of the departure of an employee or a breach.
Put in place systems that safeguard essential business and client assets - make sure that those systems are reviewed and checked regularly. Undertake an audit to assess the efficacy of the system.
Appoint a person (or more, where relevant) to ensure that they undertake a regular monitoring of the protection processes.
Dealing with breaches
An organisation needs to ensure that it has the means to deal with positions where an employee breaches confidentiality, fails to protect assets of the company or deliberately steals or misappropriates those assets or clients assets.
Disciplinary rules need to be drafted to reflect the specific needs of the business in certain situations.
They need to be drafted so that they are fair and reasonable to the employee whilst providing the maximum protection to the business.
The rules should be drafted in a simple, easily-understood way; the procedures need to ensure that a proper and thorough investigation will be undertaken wherever a potential breach is suspected.
The procedures need to allow for suspension with pay and provide the framework for support during that period of suspension.
The rules need to highlight what amounts to a potential gross misconduct issue and confirm the possible outcome.
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