Gifts at cHRistmas – How to spot a Bribe
The Bribery Act has been in force for some time now. Still a lot of confusion exists about what is and isn’t acceptable when it comes to corporate gifts. The intention of the Act is to prevent Bribery from occurring in functions of a business, trade or profession, or functions of a public nature. It is concerned with financial or other advantages inducing a person to perform improperly. There are offences defined within the Act relating to offering a bribe, receiving a bribe, and failing to prevent bribery.
The key words are PERFORM IMPROPERLY. If you or your staff get sent a bottle of wine as a thanks from a happy customer, or you want to send boxes of chocolates to us, or any of your other suppliers, you are unlikely to fall foul of the Bribery Act. You can also take your clients out for a festive lunch if you wish.
It is of course still wise to consider having appropriate policies and procedures in place to monitor the giving and receiving of corporate gifts. If you think this is sensible policy to implement in your business, we can help you.
Read more. cHRistmas Survival Guide #4 – Managing Holiday Requests
For more about HR issues at this time of year in a small or medium-size company, contact us. [email protected] or call 0845 463 9365.