Dominik Opaliński discusses non-financial misconduct and governance in Global Relay Intelligence & Practice
Dominik's comments were published in Global Relay Intelligence & Practice, 13 August 2026, and Charity Finance, 1 September 2026.
Dominik Opaliński, Partner and Head of our Governance, Safeguarding and Charity department, discusses the FCA's new non-financial misconduct (NFM) regime and how it represents a significant shift in regulatory thinking.
From 1 September 2026, serious misconduct such as bullying, harassment and other inappropriate behaviours will no longer be viewed solely as HR matters, but as indicators of an organisation's culture, leadership and governance. This places greater responsibility on boards to ensure that workplace conduct aligns with regulatory expectations and organisational values.
Dominik explains that regulators are increasingly treating non-financial misconduct as a governance issue because poor behaviour can expose wider weaknesses in oversight, accountability and decision-making. Consequently, boards can no longer rely on management teams or HR departments alone to address these risks. Instead, they must take an active role in understanding organisational culture and ensuring appropriate reporting, escalation and monitoring mechanisms are in place.
He highlights that the new regime should prompt boards to ask more searching questions about culture, conduct and governance across their organisations. By taking a proactive approach, organisations can better protect employees, manage regulatory risk and demonstrate that ethical behaviour and accountability are embedded throughout the business.
Read the full article on the Global Relay Intelligence & Practice website, [subscription required] and the Charity Finance website [subscription required].
