Written by Condon Associates on 9 September 2011

It is interesting to note much of the recent who-hah in relation to the use of credit cards and other commercial finance tools and accounts by people who appear to have used them for less than agreed reasons.

The issue is particularly interesting to consider, in the light of a presentation that I saw some years ago on drugs in the workplace. During this presentation it was firmly stated and evidenced that in workplaces where drugs were tolerated it only became a matter of time before the workplace filled with likeminded (i.e. drug taking) employees. They were effectively provided with a work environment where their behaviours and risks were either ignored or considered acceptable. Put simply people using illicit drugs avoid drug free environments.

So how then does this relate to the credit cards and the like? Well, the fact that someone takes a liberty with such facilities is as old as the devices themselves and certainly can be considered as accidental, emergency or fraudulent use.

The point about the ones currently being raised in the media is that none of the events are recent and some also relate to matters well beyond the mere use of credit cards. But what is missing is that no one in authority, both within or outside the organisations involved, can place their hands on an investigation and the relevant conclusions and where relevant disciplinary action that should have occurred when the events originally took place. Surely senior management would have reacted promptly, spontaneously and with deliberate force to stamp out such behaviours…

Or then is it actually part of those organisations true method of operation.
 

PLEASE NOTE: All information contained in the articles below was correct at time of publishing.