integrity in times of crisis

“During a pandemic, it is important to provide right and transparent information as well as education that leads to encourage all parties including the businesses to be aware and to comply to health guidance and protocols as issued by the competent authorities in order to prevent and/or decrease the spreading of the virus.”

“In such a turbulent situation it is expected of each of us to comply with guidelines issued by authorities. Businesses will have to assure that all prescribed norms are strictly adhered. This will be a great contribution to the society we live in.”

"From compliance perspective, in any situation, integrity and clean business should be our top priority as they are the basis for sustainable business.”

“We believe that a continuous commitment to integrity in every situation, including the ongoing outbreak of Covid-19, is of the utmost importance.”

“Transparency plays an important role in mitigating the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. It will create public trust thus generate public participation and this can avoid the worst effects of the crisis.”

“Covid-19 is a challenge for everybody in our company. Colleagues in home office, some of them only working part-time with limited resources and increasing pressure to stay profitable does not make life easier. The more important it is that we as the Compliance team stay closely in touch with our colleagues to support an all related Compliance matters.”

“Covid-19 makes us as a company rethink the way we work. Administrative hurdles are lowered if necessary, some decisions have to be taken faster and more employees are working remotely. Compliance has to adapt to this new reality of work without falling short of its standards. In times like these, this is the way how we can ensure integrity and quality – towards our customers, our employees and our company.”

"Effective compliance work also thrives on intensive personal communication. In times of distance and home office this happens only to a very limited extent. Compliance officers must take care especially now that they do not lose contact with employees and thus with the business and related risks."

"The right thing to do for compliance in normal times is not less right in times of crisis. Otherwise we would struggle hard to come back to where we are.“

“I believe that today, more than ever, in the digital age in which we live and facing a crisis that affects us all, we have the opportunity to add our values of solidarity and integrity to the way we do business.”

“In uncertain times like these, the culture and sustainability of organisations are really put to test. Those companies that are not tempted to weaken their compliance programmes in favour of economic continuity will be rewarded for strengthening their reputation and business models based on integrity." 

“It is in these extreme conditions of unprecedented crisis that ethics and integrity take on their greatest relevance.”

“Our policy of business integrity contributed to the measures taken to cope with the pandemic.

Already in the process of cancelling activities, we preserved the health of our employees and reaffirmed our social commitment by joining the #NãoDemita (#DontFire) movement. 

It helped us to raise our employees' sense of responsibility through an open approach, offering information and removing doubts without linking this to the conclusion of additional contracts or services. Thus, we showed a real interest in taking the best direction with the client in a transparent way.

We know that negotiations in the near future may be influenced by the great concern of companies to survive. We will stick to our approach, believing that we will benefit from going through this difficult phase in a pro-active manner. Thus, we maintain all the premises for the period of economic recovery.”

“It is in these difficult times that the integrity of organisations is tested the most. How companies act today is how they will be remembered by their members and the society for the rest of their existence.”

"Don’t let the crisis put your values at risk and know that integrity will always prevail."

“Integrity will be crucial during and after the pandemic. Stakeholders will reward organisations that take comprehensive action during the pandemic without using the loopholes left by legislation to engage in fake deals. Once society returns to a "normal" rhythm of life, stakeholders will reward those organisations that have behaved in the most exemplary manner according to the circumstances. They will gain credibility, access to credit and will have more motivated employees. Integrity is therefore like a compass that will enable companies to steer this storm and to be optimally positioned when conditions return to normal.”

“When extraordinary measures are taken in emergencies, the role of compliance with local laws and internal company regulations is even more important. The main thing we have to monitor now is the correct handling of employees’ personal health data.”

“The crisis changes us and helps us to evolve. The digital transformation is necessary to maintain compliance. We are faced with a cultural change that challenges us to be active.”

“Integrity, ethics and transparency are not topics that are currently fading into the background. On the contrary: they are more present than ever. From this point of view, personal responsibility and ethics, whether in relation to the risk of spreading the disease, caring for others, ethics while working from home or when working methods change very quickly, are now more important than ever. This is now an opportunity to learn, to develop other modalities and to show that integrity is relevant and applicable to all the circumstances in which we find ourselves.”

“Compliance professionals must have a very strong sense of empathy during this period of crisis, as well as in the reconstruction of economic activities. The balance between a firm stance and sensitivity will be fundamental for conducting business in an ethical, integral and constructive way.”

"In these times of crisis, when business activity is significantly declining, we need to strengthen business integrity as a preventive tool that enables companies and organisations to manage legal, contractual and normative compliance well.”

“The global crisis has shown that corruption risks can increase. It is therefore important to strengthen compliance measures and to create a culture of integrity aiming to mitigate risks and to raise awareness of the relevance of adhering to transparent processes. A sustainable business requires that the business purpose is aligned with sustainable integrity values.”

“The use of technology and digital innovations enables us to carry out controls and inspections of operations remotely, which I believe is important not only in future, but already today. Technology will be of great importance to ensure that transparency controls continue to be carried out.”

"Adopting a culture of business integrity strengthens the lines of defense in times of crisis and will build the foundation for a shared future well-being.”

"The exceptional circumstances caused by the ongoing Covid-19 crisis raise the challenge of maintaining integrity within the work of organisations and companies. Maintaining transparent processes and making decisions in accordance with the principles of the organisation remains at least as relevant as in times of normality. This increases the responsibility of senior management towards employees, customers and suppliers."

"This pandemic is an opportunity to be better leaders and entrepreneurs, but, above all, better human beings."

“Agility in response to the health emergency does not need to be in conflict with the fundamental principles of transparency and good governance.” 

‘’The current global disruption has demonstrated that strong but empathetic leadership, transparency, and open and honest communication can and does encourage compliance with a minimum of enforcement. Such an approach engenders a collective consciousness of the need to act in a way that is good for all as opposed to good for the individual. In the aftermath of the pandemic, governments and businesses must recognize the need to reshape and refocus their approaches to ethics, compliance and integrity, and grasp the opportunities to create a climate that can strengthen trust, relationships and reputations.’’

“Integrity matters, especially in a time of crisis, especially in the water sector. Service delivery under emergency conditions can, either unwittingly or deliberately, open the door for corruption, and reductions in accountability and transparency practices that may have been built up over years. We call on governments around the world to ensure that the water sector becomes an island of integrity, during and after this crisis, starting today.”