Ethics risk hits profit levels and client loyalty.

Ethics risk hits profit levels and client loyalty.

Amnesty International this week warned accountants and professional advisers that they will lose business unless ethical and human issues take centre stage in corporate decisions.

Profit levels and client loyalty are at risk if business services are seen to be associated with unethical activity, the human rights group claimed.

Accountancy Age last week revealed that Grant Thornton is acting as adviser to controversial diamond mining company Oryx in its bid for a listing on the London stock exchange.

‘Companies are increasingly targeted by public opinion if their business is seen to be out of step with public morality’, an Amnesty spokesman said. ‘It’s very clear that the public take as much note about who you work with as what you do.’

He said investment firms have already felt the brunt of being associated with businesses linked to violations, and it would not be long before the public started to look at the association of other sectors.

‘You no longer have to be directly involved with violations to become a target of public opinion’, he added.

Amnesty’s Human Rights – is it any of your business? report urges company wide strategies.

It highlights a reputation assurance package drawn up by PricewaterhouseCoopers to help multinationals construct ethical policies.

www.amnesty.org.uk.

Share

Subscribe to get your daily business insights

Resources & Whitepapers

Why Professional Services Firms Should Ditch Folders and Embrace Metadata
Professional Services

Why Professional Services Firms Should Ditch Folders and Embrace Metadata

3y

Why Professional Services Firms Should Ditch Folde...

In the past decade, the professional services industry has transformed significantly. Digital disruptions, increased competition, and changing market ...

View resource
2 Vital keys to Remaining Competitive for Professional Services Firms

2 Vital keys to Remaining Competitive for Professional Services Firms

3y

2 Vital keys to Remaining Competitive for Professi...

In recent months, professional services firms are facing more pressure than ever to deliver value to clients. Often, clients look at the firms own inf...

View resource
Turn Accounts Payable into a value-engine
Accounting Firms

Turn Accounts Payable into a value-engine

3y

Turn Accounts Payable into a value-engine

In a world of instant results and automated workloads, the potential for AP to drive insights and transform results is enormous. But, if you’re still ...

View resource
Digital Links: A guide to MTD in 2021
Making Tax Digital

Digital Links: A guide to MTD in 2021

3y

Digital Links: A guide to MTD in 2021

The first phase of Making Tax Digital (MTD) saw the requirement for the digital submission of the VAT Return using compliant software. That’s now behi...

View resource