10 Examples of Workplace Misconduct in the News from March 2023

There’s no skirting around it anymore - workplace misconduct is everywhere. And, it doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon. In fact, some data suggests it’s only getting worse. The SEC reported it saw the largest number of whistleblower complaints in 2022 - with over 12,300 complaints filed last year alone.

When Employee, Executive, and Investment Misconduct goes unchecked, companies suffer talent, legal, financial, and even reputational damages. See recent examples of misconduct that made it in recent news for misconduct issues:

Recent Examples of Misconduct at Work:

1. Judge says Starbucks committed ‘egregious and widespread’ labor violations fighting unions (The Hill)
2. Justice Department, SEC Investigating Silicon Valley Bank’s Collapse: Probes include examining executives’ share sales before bank’s failure (The Wall Street Journal)
3. ExxonMobil sued after a Black employee allegedly discovered a noose at work. It was the fifth at the same facility (CNN)
4. Former Wells Fargo Executive Blamed in Fake-Accounts Scandal Agrees to Plead Guilty: Los Angeles prosecutors accused the executive of obstructing regulators’ examination (The Wall Street Journal)
5. FTC to Ban BetterHelp from Revealing Consumers’ Data, Including Sensitive Mental Health Information, to Facebook and Others for Targeted Advertising: BetterHelp will be required to pay $7.8 million for deceiving consumers after promising to keep sensitive personal data private, agency says (FTC.gov)
6. How FTX’s Nishad Singh, Once an Honors Student, Turned to Crypto Crime (The Wall Street Journal)
7. College Park, Md. mayor arrested on 56 counts of child pornography charges: Police (ABC 7 News)
8. McDonald’s Directors Beat Sexual Misconduct Oversight Lawsuit: Though there were ‘vibrant’ red flags regarding the fast-food company’s culture, the board took sufficient action to address allegations, a judge found (The Wall Street Journal)
9. Tom Sandoval speaks out in wake of ‘Vanderpump Rules’ cheating scandal (CNN)
   
   Schwartz and Sandy’s Addresses Outpouring of Backlash Against Restaurant: They’re “disappointed by the current situation” and know fans “may feel a certain way.” (Cosmopolitan)
   
   
10. Vince McMahon Reimburses WWE for Costs Tied to Sexual-Misconduct Probe: Executive chair paid $17.4 million, and will incur any additional costs, tied to investigation (The Wall Street Journal)

As a result of rising misconduct, government regulators, like the SEC, have been cracking down to strengthen protections for whistleblowers; increase accountability among leadership teams and board members, and lead companies down a path toward achieving business success ethically.