US based Earnest and Young (EY) recently fired dozens of employees for what the company deemed as ‘cheating’ during training. The firm found that some staff were taking multiple online training courses at the same time during "EY Ignite Learning Week" in May, which broke the firm's ethics policies. As a result, these employees were let go without any severance pay.

In a statement, EY highlighted its commitment to integrity and ethics, saying that they took action because the employees broke the company's Code of Conduct. Some of the fired employees said they didn't realize this was against the rules, pointing out that emails from EY had encouraged them to join as many sessions as possible. Since then, EY has updated its training policies to make expectations clearer.

This is a bitter reminder to understand and adhere to company policies, especially those related to ethics and professional conduct. Even well-intentioned actions, like trying to learn as much as possible, can lead to serious consequences if they violate internal guidelines. The incident also highlights the importance of maintaining integrity, not just in client work but in all aspects of professional life, including learning and development activities. Ethical lapses, even if unintentional, can significantly impact careers. It also underscores the need for companies to communicate their policies clearly to avoid misunderstandings.

Read the original article in Accounting Today.