Writing an article to showcase expertise or share industry insights can significantly boost your professional profile. However, it’s crucial to understand that a misstep in your content could inadvertently harm your employer, your career and personal finance. Whether it’s revealing sensitive information, breaching regulatory or professional guidelines, or creating conflicts of interest, publishing without considering compliance can lead to significant risks.
In this blog, we’ll explore how to navigate the complex relationship between your personal expert contributions and your professional obligations while ensuring compliance with your employer’s policies.
There are significant unintended consequences of contributing articles without approval
Confidentiality Breaches
Employees often unintentionally disclose sensitive data or company information in their articles. Even indirect references to strategies, internal data, or client projects can violate non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), risk theft of intellectual property or damage client trust, business and vendor partnerships.
Regulatory Non-Compliance
For employees in industries such as finance, healthcare, or law, regulatory compliance is non-negotiable. Articles that fail to adhere to media engagement compliance approval processes could lead to:
- Violations of industry regulations like FINRA, GDPR, or HIPAA.
- Expensive fines or penalties for your employer.
- Increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies.
Reputational Risks
Personal opinions shared in professional articles may be perceived as representing the company’s stance. This misalignment has the potential to cause reputational harm, strain stakeholder relationships or even loss of clientele confidence.
How to maintain compliance while contributing articles.
Familiarize yourself with compliance policies
Every organization has rules to prevent conflicts of interest and governing employee outside business activities and publications. These may include requirements for compliance approval for written articles, legal and marketing review, disclaimers to be added, supervisory or sectoral lead review to vet that insights do not conflict with “house views”.
Seek written approval before publishing
Always consult your compliance officer before submitting your article, even if it is a draft. Approval processes typically evaluate:
- Potential conflicts of interests.
- Alignment with company ethics and compliance standards.
- Regulatory considerations.
Avoid sensitive topics
To minimize risks, steer entirely clear of subjects that involve:
- Company financials or business strategies.
- Insider Information about projects or partnerships
- Topics that could trigger controversy or ethical concerns.
Include a disclaimer
If your article represents your personal opinions, include a clear disclaimer. For instance: “The views expressed in this article are my own and do not reflect the views of my employer.” or any other disclaimer approved by your compliance officer, who may also consult your internal legal counsel.
Use a conflicts clearance application.
Use a compliance management software application to submit your request so that the review and due diligence is properly documented and recorded including a central record of all reviews and compliance advise. Organizations often provide conflict management compliance software or other tools to ensure employees’ external engagements comply with company policies. Leverage these systems for pre-clearance of your articles.
Why following compliance guidelines matters
Protecting your career
Failing to adhere to compliance policies can lead to disciplinary action, damaged professional relationships, and even termination. Employers value employees who demonstrate a strong understanding of employee ethics and compliance.
Safeguarding your employer
By following proper procedures for outside business activity approval or after-hours job approval, you reduce the risk of legal, financial, or reputational harm to your organization.
Building trust
Employees who proactively manage compliance are seen as reliable and trustworthy contributors to the organization’s success.
Conclusion
Writing an article can be a rewarding way to share knowledge and build your professional brand, but it’s essential to consider the potential impact on your employer. By understanding and adhering to compliance policies, seeking necessary approvals, and avoiding sensitive topics, you can create content that aligns with both your personal goals and your employer’s expectations.
Balancing personal expression with professional responsibility is key to ensuring your writing contributes positively to your career while safeguarding your employer’s reputation.
