In the past few years, as the use of social media has become more and more mainstream, companies have been waiting and watching for case law, guidance or some direction on what they can and should do with employees’ use of social media. Struggling to find a balance that protects employee rights and the best interests of the company has made the development of social media policies challenging—to say the least. We are finally getting what we are waiting for… more guidance… and now, we just have to figure out where we go from here.

The German legislative environment relating to corporate governance has been rapidly evolving over recent years.   Amendments to the Corporate Governance Code (DCGC) place increasing personal responsibility on supervisory boards to ensure businesses meet their legal obligations and comply with internal policies.  This has led to a steady increase in the number of German businesses appointing compliance officers and implementing various measures to ensure they meet their legal obligations.   Earlier in the year, in a direct response to demand from the business community for clarity on what constitutes a robust compliance management system, the German Public Audit Institute (IDW) published a new assurance standard (PS980), the aim of which is to establish a recognised framework for compliance management aligned with internationally recognised principles.