Zero tolerance written on a chalk board

On October 1, 2019, final amendments were made to the New York State law, in force from October 9. All companies with employees in New York State should be reevaluating their current sexual harassment policies and ensure they are up-to-date.

VinciWorks has created a sexual harassment policy template that complies with New York City and State laws. The template can easily be edited to suit your organization and include the details of relevant contact people. You can download the policy template by completing the form below.

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Figurine cleaning money
Staff should feel comfortable raising any suspicions of money laundering without fear that doing so could affect their role

The Money Laundering Regulations 2017, which transpose the Fourth EU Money Laundering Directive into UK law, came into full force on 26 June. The Fourth Directive includes some fundamental changes to the anti-money laundering procedures, including changes to customer due diligence, a central register for beneficial owners and a focus on risk assessments. For example, there will no longer be automatic exemptions from conducting client due diligence.

Further, the UK parliament has enacted a piece of sanctions and money laundering legislation designed to Brexit-proof the UK’s ability to implement international and European sanctions. The Sanctions & Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 gives the UK new powers regarding sanctions and money laundering. For example, the UK can make, suspend and revoke sanctions regimes which can include broad measures including shipping, trade and even airspace restrictions, in addition to financial sanctions and travel bans.

VinciWorks has created a money laundering whistleblowing policy template that can easily be edited to suit your organisation and include the appropriate contact people.

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Someone rejecting a bribe in a white envelope

Anti-bribery contract clause overview

An anti-bribery clause can be included in a contract whereby the parties commit to comply with certain rules, in this case anti-bribery rules, and understand that if these rules are violated, the contract will no longer be valid. Such clauses help maintain trust between parties and prevent corruption in both the negotiation and the performance of the contract. 

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Man passing over a bribe

The Bribery Act 2010 defines bribery in a very broad way, namely as a gift or donation intended to “induce a person to perform improperly, a relevant function or activity”. When it comes to any compliance matter, it is important to install a culture whereby all staff feel comfortable raising any concerns they may have, be it regarding the actions of a client, a colleague or a member of the management team. VinciWorks has therefore created a bribery whistleblowing policy template that can easily be edited to suit your organisation and include the appropriate contact people.

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Ringbinder full of donations
Charitable donations are often used as a conduit for making bribes

Corporate Giving Policy

While many large corporations strive to support worthy charitable causes across the world as well as the local community, it is important that staff are aware of the types of donations that are acceptable. It is also important that charitable donations made go directly to the charity and are not benefited by a political party or campaign. Charitable donations are often used to make bribes. Therefore, having a charitable and political donations policy in place will help ensure that donations to charities are made appropriately and don’t fall into the wrong hands.

Company Charity & Political Donations Policy Template<

VinciWorks’ charitable and political donations policy can be downloaded for free by clicking the button below. The template can easily be edited to suit your organisation’s industry and procedures. As well as creating a policy, it is also important staff undergo the appropriate anti-bribery training to allow them to identify suspicions of bribery.

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Symbol of corporate social responsibilityWhat is your organisation doing to embrace social responsibility? Social responsibility initiatives are not only good for the community, they build brand equity and reputation, and enhance client satisfaction. VinciWorks has created a free corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy template that can be used to clearly communicate CSR initiatives to clients and align employee behaviour.

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ESG update – 2022

In the last few years, the term ‘ESG’ (environmental, social and governance) has somewhat eclipsed CSR. This doesn’t mean CSR is gone or no longer useful, but it can be helpful to consider CSR in the context of ESG. For more information about what ESG is, what it means, and how it relates to CSR and your business, view our ESG resources page which is constantly updated with new ESG information, guides, webinars and courses.

www.vinciworks.com/ESG

CSR Policy Template: What is CSR and what is a CSR policy template?

Corporate social responsibility refers to the way in which businesses regulate themselves to help ensure that they are socially accountable to themselves, their stakeholders, and the public. Sometimes called “corporate citizenship,” corporate social responsibility helps organisations be conscious of the impact they have on society, including economic, social, and environmental factors. A CSR policy template helps organisations that don’t have their own company policies in place by providing a model that can be used as an example and adapted to the individual needs of each organisation.

CSR Policy Template

What should be included in a CSR policy?

Here is some guidance on what to include in your corporate social responsibility policy:

Introduction

Begin the policy by acknowledging that the way your business is run affects society. While organisations have a responsibility towards their staff, clients and contractors, they must also consider the wider community in which they operate. The introduction should also state your organisation’s commitments to CSR.

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Sexual harassment complaint form

VinciWorks provides a free sexual harassment policy template to help organisations raise awareness of sexual harassment in the workplace and eradicate it for good.

The month of October saw an alarming number of high-profile allegations of sexual harassment. This included the downfall of Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein, Netflix cutting ties with Kevin Spacey and a scandal at Westminster. The subsequent #MeToo campaign and a shocking BBC survey highlighted further that the issue of sexual harassment is not limited to the heights of Hollywood and politics. Of the woman who said they had been sexually harassed, only 63% said they kept it to themselves, with 79% of male victims saying they didn’t report it.

Implementing a sexual harassment policy in your workplace is more than just ticking a box. Having such a policy in place, together with the appropriate anti-harassment training, will better equip staff and managers to spot signs of harassment at work and understand how to promote an inclusive and safe working environment for all staff.

You can download the sexual harassment policy template by clicking on the button below. The sexual harassment policy template can easily be edited to suit your organisation and industry.

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Anti-money laundering banner

In light of the new Money Laundering Regulations having come into full effect in June, VinciWorks has made available a free anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing policy template. The policy can easily be edited to suite your law firm or organisation, your industry and staff.

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Anti Money Laundering (AML) Procedures

The European Union’s Fourth Anti-Money Laundering Directive came into force on 26th June 2017.

The new directive included some fundamental changes to the anti-money laundering procedures, including changes to CDD, a central register for beneficial owners and a focus on risk assessments.

What Should be Included in AML Policy Document?

Here are some guidelines for what should be included in an anti-money laundering policy:

    • Introduction and an explanation of what money laundering and terrorist financing is
    • How does money get laundered?
    • Guidelines on differentiating between money laundering and terror financing

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Privacy Policy written on a wall

A privacy policy must set out the different areas where user privacy is concerned and outline the obligations and requirements of the users, the website and website owners. Furthermore, the way your organisation processes, stores and protects user data and information should also be detailed in a privacy policy. The policy should be made available on your organisation’s website.

What is a GDPR privacy policy?

A GDPR privacy policy is a legal document that outlines how an organisation collects, uses, stores, and protects personal data in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The GDPR is a set of data protection regulations implemented in the EU to enhance the privacy rights of individuals and establish consistent data protection standards across the EU member states.

In a GDPR privacy policy, organisations provide transparent information about the personal data they collect, the purposes for which it is collected, how it is processed, and the legal basis for processing. The policy also covers details about data retention, data subject rights, security measures, data transfers outside the EU, and contact information for the data protection officer.

What needs to be included in a privacy policy?

Here are the main points that should be addressed in a privacy policy:

Use of the cookies

Your policy should first define what cookies are and then explain what the organisation used the cookies for. It should stress that they are used to enhance the user experience and any tracking software used should also be stated.
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Tax Evasion

Are your staff sufficiently prepared for the Criminal Finances Act? Ensuring everyone is familiar with your organisations’ procedures to prevent facilitation of tax evasion will go a long way to protect your company from prosecution. We have therefore created a tax evasion code of conduct policy template based on the Criminal Finances Act that can easily be edited and made available to all staff, clients and stakeholders.
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