True Office Learning Blog

On June 1, 2020, the Department of Justice updated its guidance document, Evaluation of Corporate Compliance Programs (the “Guidance”), superseding previous guidance from April 2019 and February 2017.

The Guidance, which is intended as a reference of information and questions for prosecutors – think of it as an framework – to ask companies when evaluating their compliance programs amidst investigations and subsequent charging decisions, provides us a lens into how we should be structuring our programs. You can view the key takeaways of the 2019 guidance updates here. 

COVID-19 has changed so many things about our lives, both personally and professionally. Many of us are acclimating to a new normal of remote work and virtual meetings amongst competing priorities like family and finances. One thing that it hasn’t changed, is the importance of doing the right thing.

We’re living in a time of uncertainty and are hanging on daily news cycles to hear the latest information. Most of us are hunkering down at home, putting an entirely new meaning to work-life balance. Like, literally, some of our “offices” may be in our bedroom (I see that laptop propped up on your pillows!)

But your job isn’t business as usual. In fact, it’s business and compliance risk on steroids.

At what point did we enter the big box warehouse store model of compliance training?

It’s a Saturday morning and you’re off to run your errands. On your list? A marinated tri-tip from that warehouse discount store up the road. It’s a crowd pleaser. Except you don’t leave said big box store with just the tri-tip. Rather, your cart is filled to the brim with a thirty pound bag of Twizzlers, a 6-pack of folding chairs in case you have an influx of relatives with nowhere to sit, and a 96-count of paper towels. As the fog wears off and the dust settles, you only realize the extent of your “one item trip” when you get home and have a “what just happened” moment.

This is the first of a series of posts by Harper Wells, True Office Learning’s Director of Compliance Insights and Strategy. Harper is passionate about moving ethics and compliance programs from evolving to leading practice. With over 15 years of compliance, risk, and governance experience across heavily regulated industries, Harper drives the product strategy and thought leadership functions, bringing the client voice into True Office Learning's solution roadmap.

Oh, New Year's resolutions...

Love them or hate them, they become a central topic of conversation every year. How many of us swear we’re going to hit the gym three times a week or learn a new language? These lofty – and often unrealistic – goals seem like a great idea until we try to live up to our own expectations. Experts predict most “resolutions” fall by the wayside by the time February rolls around.