02 Jul 20
by
Cris Parker, Director, The Banking + Finance Oath, Head of The Ethics Alliance
The world is facing what could be the biggest recession since the Great Depression. That tiny Covid-19 virus kicked off a trail of personal and economic disaster, expected to snowball into an avalanche of business bankruptcy.
You’ve just started a new role at a large financial institution with a solid portfolio of business clients. You’ve been told that as bankers to large professional service firms, your organisation gives discounts to the partners of those firms for their personal lending facilities in recognition of the wider group relationship.
24 Jun 20
by
Cris Parker, Director, The BFO + Head of The Ethics Alliance
There are some early claims that Generation Z women are smarter with money than their mothers and grandmothers have been. They will need to be.
24 Jun 20
by
By David Goldfeld, UBank + BFO Young Ambassador
An initial meeting to assess the needs and values of a potential new customer turns in to a self-reflection exercise that sees you questioning your own values and where your duty lies.
When it comes to data collection, businesses emphasise speed, efficiency and simplicity. Automation of processes can enable the transformation of outdated, manual processes and make it easier and quicker to complete work every day. It can remove duplication of work and increase productivity to help us better do our jobs. It can help us to stay on track and notify us of something we may have forgotten. It can help us to grow and accelerate as a business.
There are, however, concerns over wh...
10 Jun 20
by
The Banking + Finance Oath
You are a Human Resources Business Partner to an IT team of 45 people in a large financial institution. The team is leading a high profile systems transformation that will take the business through a significant change in the way it deals with customers.
03 Jun 20
by
The Banking + Finance Oath
At a time when so many small to medium businesses are being pushed to the limit, is it possible to balance compassion with realism?
19 May 20
by
Suzanne Salter, Founder and Principal Coach, Leadership Nouveau
As the world economy will soon have to start rebuilding from ground zero, it’s a really good time to reflect and ask… what do we want this new edifice of life to look like? I hope that by sharing my story, I might help shape your answer to this very question.
19 May 20
by
Cris Parker, Director, The BFO and Head of The Ethics Alliance
Emerging from the turbulence of COVID-19, we have the opportunity to escape the hold of our past and use moral imagination to explore a better future.
19 May 20
by
Bob McCarthy, Managing Director, Integrity Solutions
Just as the post-Hayne dust was settling, and before the financial services industry had time to catch its collective breath, a serious new challenge has emerged shining an even more dramatic spotlight on its role in a distrusting community – the wildfire spread of, and the global economic/societal response to, the Coronavirus.
11 May 20
by
Cris Parker, Director, The Banking + Finance Oath
Since the Covid-19 crisis hit, Australia’s financial institutions have had to divert a lot of resources and focus their efforts on addressing the challenges they face. They’ve also had to adapt quickly to accommodate their customer’s changing financial needs. But has their response to the pandemic been enough to rouse respect from the community they serve and rekindle a trust that has been lost?
27 Apr 20
by
Cris Parker, The Banking and Finance Oath
Compliance can’t be in every situation all of the time. Every decision can’t be monitored, nor should we want it to be. The purpose of The Banking and Finance Oath (The BFO) is to encourage self-reflection and values-driven decision making.
There will still be situations where behaviour is not in line with the values of an organisation and it’s important to question when you see this. You just have to look at #ToiletPaperGate to see behaviour can be driven by self-interest, when the circumstances permit, whether we realise it or not.
The broader example of hoarding is an example of fear driving unthinking practice. The BFO encourages individuals to ‘call out wrongdoing and support others who do the same’. However, situations will still arise, where organisations will rely on a whistle-blower speaking up. Bad behaviour still happens during a crisis.
We spoke to a whistle-blower from the financial services industry who explains why speaking up is as important as ever in these challenging times.
21 Apr 20
by
Cris Parker, Director, The BFO and Head of The Ethics Alliance
A senior executive alarms his CEO when he starts making out-of-character decisions that reflect his personal fears. Teams are frozen into indecision as the ground continually shifts beneath them. Your days are punctuated with emotional meltdowns from people you have always relied upon in a crisis.
As exhausting as this sounds, it is currently all too familiar. These are some of the signs that the prolonged impact of Covid-19 is causing moral fatigue in the people around you.
25 Mar 20
by
Jodi O'Callaghan, Executive Officer
As people around the world grapple with this extremely challenging time, never has it been more important for individuals to pull together as citizens to make the greatest impact in the face of this unfolding COVID-19 crisis.
Social distancing by working from home means a disparate workforce and a completely new way of working for many of us. Technology is enabling the ‘show to go on’ thro...
23 Mar 20
by
Jodi O'Callaghan
Life insurance offers financial security to loved ones left behind following the loss of a family member. It can be a difficult subject to broach at the best of times, but in times of crisis it can be even harder, albeit reassuring to know you have it.
But what if you don’t?
Working in customer service for a large life insurance organisation you receive a call from a prospective client wanting to purchase life insurance. They are not considered high risk in the cur...
17 Mar 20
by
Simon Longstaff, Executive Director, The Ethics Centre
The Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) defines conduct risk as “the risk of inappropriate, unethical or unlawful behaviour on the part of an organisation’s management or employees”.
At its heart, the definition recognises conduct risk is a product of ethical blindness: a failure to see important aspects of the ethical landscape of banking.
"You would hope the interests of consumers, the integrity of financial markets and the expectations...
A system red flag has popped up to alert you of a transaction by a customer that looks out of the ordinary of her usual transactions, particularly given the country the money will be received. What you uncover leaves you questioning what the right thing to do is in this situation.
You are the line manager for a team of people in your company in the finance sector. One of your key staff members is excellent at her job and is known for her ability to generate a high amount of income for the company - none of your other staff members come close to her in terms of this...
04 Dec 19
by
Jodi O'Callaghan
It’s the festive season and you’re attending the usual amount of social events at this time of year – catching up with colleagues and industry peers at each one.
You work in wealth management, advising on, monitoring and updating the investments and superannuation of clients, some of whom carry joint investments and receive services together as a couple - like Leo and Isabelle*.
To date, Leo and Isabelle have always come to the office seeking advice and making decisions together. But this week you received a call... just from Leo.
14 Nov 19
by
Simon Watson
You are a fixed income portfolio manager who works as part of a close, high performing team that invests the assets of large institutional clients.
Addressing the errors of the past can’t depend solely on the law. In today’s business environment, initiatives that encourage self-reflection and accountability deserve a healthy dose of scepticism but cynicism will only serve to stifle the potential.
U Ethical has undergone an exhaustive process over the last twelve months, seeking to bring to the fore what is important to our people and our clients. This has been built around the principal of delivering competitive investment returns while doing the right thing by communities and the planet.
Living an authentic life. One with purpose, in which you are conscious of and being true to your personal values is what many of us strive for.
So how does this translate to our professional lives? There are those that find giving back is key for what motivates them to get out of bed in the morning or fulfil them in their day to day work. For others, it is about understanding how their personal values align with an organisation’s values and purpose, and how they can make a difference through that purpose.
You work in financial advice and have developed a friendly relationship with one of your clients who is now applying for an insurance product.
You work as a financial advisor. Recently, one of your clients suffered a back injury that would effectively prevent him from carrying out his normal work as a plumber – the job he has had his whole life. You know that in theory, your client should be able to access Total Permanent Disability Insurance (TPD).
This week’s dilemma sees a financial institution facing the dilemma of whether or not to lend, and support a brothel's payment systems.
It can be a tricky space finding yourself wanting to push back against those in a higher position than you, and can take great moral courage to speak up.
You work at an advice business that is just starting a program to repay customers that may have been overcharged for advice services or for poor advice.
05 Sep 19
by
Wayne Byres, APRA Chairman
8 August 2019
Wayne Byres, Chairman – Crossroads: The 2019 Banking and Finance Oath Conference, Sydney
Good morning. I am very pleased to be part of this event, and to lend my support to the Banking & Finance Oath and to Finsia, both of whom are playing important and timely roles highlighting the importance of trust and professionalism for a successful financial sector.