I believe it is a good idea to continuously promote an organization's compliance program. This communication lets employees know that management is focused on ensuring employees are aware of the guiding principles that govern ethic behavior. Also, this should be reassurance for the employees that they should speak up when things appear wrong.

Companies like, Pfizer and Tenet, had compliance programs in place. They each promoted acting professionally and ethically. Yet, the decisions of a few peopple cost the organization significantly in fines and penalties. Pfizer just recently paid $2.3 billion and Tenet paid $900 million in 1996 to the Department of Justice.

The additional benefits needed in the current enviroment is to reward employees for doing the right thing and for speaking up. Ethics and compliance programs "sort of" have a negative view by some. For example, an employee might not want to speak up for fear of losing his/her job or fear of retaliation. Unfortunately, it is difficult to remove this perception.

Nevertheless, if an employee can believe that speaking up and acting ethically compliment each other, this might diminish the negative perception. At this point, the organization most definitely will benefit.

I agree with you, Nichole.

I agree with the benefits stated, but an ethics "program" can only be successful if it is grounded in a coporate culture that values and extolls ethical behavior. As Nicole notes, no company is bulletproof, as in the Pfizer and Tenet cases. However, if the organizational culture leans towards doing the right thing, from top to bottom, the fear of retribution for speaking up will be lessened. This is when the organization will realize the above benefits of an ethics program.