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UPFRONT
CANADIAN EMPLOYERS UNDERESTIMATE THE
PROPORTION OF THEIR WORKFORCE WITH A
CHRONIC CONDITION AND ITS IMPACT
The 21st edition of The Sanofi Canada Healthcare Survey of
Canadian employees with workplace health benefit plans and of
organizations who offer their employees health benefits indicates
that while 58 per cent of surveyed employees report having at least krol / 123RF Stock Photo
SIXTY-SIX PER CENT OF CANADIAN EXECUTIVES
CITE CYBER-ATTACKS AS THEIR TOP
BUSINESS RISK
Fraudulent, unethical and corrupt business practices, increasingly
prevalent due to new technologies and inconsistent application of
compliance policies, are a source of mounting concern for Canadian
executives, according to the 15th EY Global Fraud Survey.
The survey reveals that 66 per cent of Canadian respondents
believe a cyber-attack is the biggest risk to their business – a
significant increase from the global average of 37 per cent and surpassing
concerns over the changing regulatory environment (cited
by 48 per cent of Canadians).
“Recent high-profile data breaches and concerns over online
privacy are creating new risks for Canadian businesses,” said Zain
Raheel, EY Canada, fraud investigation and dispute services
leader. “Ongoing cybersecurity threats point to a critical need for
rigorous and focused incident response plans to detect potential
breaches and help minimize the occurrence of attacks.”
VIEWS SHIFT ON INTEGRITY
Growing sophistication of cyber-attacks is also increasing the vulnerability
of the workforce. Canadian respondents recognize the
importance of integrity among their people, but little to no clarity
exists as to who in the company is responsible for ensuring
employees behave.
Sixty-two per cent of Canadian executives say management is
primarily responsible for ensuring integrity among employees, followed
by individual responsibility at 24 per cent and HR at just
eight per cent.
ENFORCEMENT FALLS FLAT
What’s more, survey results show Canadian executives are failing
to uphold corporate integrity. Although 80 per cent of respondents
agreed there are clear penalties for violating company policies, only
46 per cent could point to employees who have been penalized for
breaching them.
“There is a great opportunity for companies to demonstrate that
they are living their values by enforcing corporate integrity and
implementing stringent compliance measures,” said Raheel. “Lack
of enforcement, coupled with vague policies, sets the precedent
that unethical behaviour may continue without consequences.”
CONSEQUENCES REMAIN UNCLEAR
When asked about the benefits of demonstrating integrity, public
perception was ranked highest by Canadian executives at 76 per
cent, followed by customer perception at 62 per cent. Successful
business performance hovered at 46 per cent, which is significantly
lower than the North American average of 70 per cent (and the
global average of 59 per cent.
“Canadian companies don’t necessarily see the clear connection
of how integrity can impact the bottom line,” said Raheel.
“Understanding the connection between integrity and business
success is crucial to building the case for investment in anticorruption
and cyber capabilities – especially as many businesses
prioritize their digital agenda through the rapid adoption of disruptive
technologies and advanced analytics.”
lightwise / 123RF Stock Photo
HRPROFESSIONALNOW.CA ❚ JULY 2018 ❚ 7
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