Your guide to prevent, detect and address bribery

What should I do if my organisation doesn’t have an anti-bribery program?

Knowing how to prevent, detect and address bribery and corruption risks while succeeding in business can be challenging, particularly for small and medium sized enterprises. An anti-bribery program built around the principles of preventing, detecting and addressing bribery and corruption risks can help shield your organisation from the legal and reputational consequences when bribery and corruption occur.

What happens if my business does not take active steps to prevent foreign bribery?

Implementing adequate procedures to prevent foreign bribery and corruption is critical to avoiding potential enforcement action and reputational damage. Australian businesses including those operating overseas are subject to legal and ethical obligations to take active steps to ensure that their compliance frameworks are able to effectively prevent, detect and address bribery and corruption.

I’m working in a country that is prone to bribery and corruption – what red flags does my team need to be aware of?

Australian companies operating internationally can be faced with local customs, expectations, and competitive pressure to bribe – even when this conduct is prohibited under the foreign country’s own laws as well as anti‑corruption laws in Australia and third-party countries. Recognising bribery and corruption red flags can help your organisation to detect and address bribery and corruption risks when operating overseas. Learn how to spot and address warning signs and meet legal requirements to support your business to operate successfully and protect its investment and reputation.

I suspect bribery and corruption in my business and supply chain – what do I do now?

Thoroughly investigating actual or suspected incidents of bribery, including within your own organisation, is critical, and will help you meet your legal obligations, where appropriate, to report to regulators and stakeholders in a timely fashion, to identify and remediate weaknesses in controls and help to demonstrate your company is serious about tackling bribery and corruption. Find what to do and what your obligations are when you identify bribery or corruption concerns.

How does preventing bribery and corruption contribute to sustainable development?

Engaging in the fight against bribery and corruption not only promotes honest competition and makes good business sense. It also helps ensure local communities benefit from your business activity. Corruption can divert funds away from education, health care and other vital public services. It can also exacerbate violence and insecurity and undermine trust in public institutions. Discover why acting on bribery and corruption matters.

Everything you need to develop a strong anti-bribery culture

Prevent

Know the risks, develop a culture of integrity

Prevent bribery from happening in the first place by taking steps to recognise the risks and implement effective policies and procedures.

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Detect

Identify and assess issues early

Monitor for bribery and corruption and assess the effectiveness of controls across your operations. Access guidance to help you design and implement systems to help detect real and possible bribery risks. Implement anti-bribery and corruption systems that continuously adapt and improve.

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Address

Disclose and remediate incidents

Protect your business, comply with laws and enhance processes. Steps to take when bribery or corruption occurs to understand what has occurred and promote a culture of action, self-reporting, remedy and organisational learning.

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