LONDON, July 17 (Reuters) - Financial firms in Britain are sharpening their focus on employee conduct, with some weeding out staff suspected of misconduct such as harassment and bullying ahead of new rules designed to curb an industry lawmakers have called a hotbed of abuse and bullying, lawyers told Reuters.
Lawyers at three firms in London said some companies were dismissing such employees before new rules increase scrutiny, reporting requirements and the potential consequences of mishandling non-financial misconduct cases on September 1.
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The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is amending conduct rules and fitness-for-office tests to add serious, work-related bullying, harassment and violence against colleagues in 37,000 non-bank firms such as asset managers, hedge funds and insurers.
The amended rules and guidance clarify how firms should take non-financial misconduct into account when assessing employees' fitness and propriety and put the onus on managers, rather than human resources departments, to identify, investigate and report potentially serious cases.
The changes are designed to bring non-bank finance rules into line with those already in place for banks, although new guidance spells out more...
Baseless claims that former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger gave a speech on eugenics and forcible vaccinations to the World Health Organisation (WHO) have recirculated online. The posts alle...