Events

ELFA’s Engagement and Compliance Committee is delighted to present a Teach-In webinar with our partners at Akin examining the FCA’s framework on non-financial misconduct and what it means for firms and their people. This event is for ELFA members only.

From 1 September 2026, the FCA’s new rules and guidance will apply, with the effect that misconduct will be an FCA issue for firms subject to the Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SMCR) in a broader range of circumstances. This includes where the firm’s conduct rule staff engage in bullying, harassment or violence toward another person in a work context.

The new rules and guidance will have implications for all conduct rule staff of SMCR firms. The FCA sees non-financial misconduct as not merely an HR or employment law issue, but as a regulatory matter. As firms prepare for implementation, many are considering how the framework may operate in practice, where conduct may give rise to regulatory concerns, how the guidance should be applied in more complex situations, and what standards the FCA expects firms and individuals to uphold.

The session will cover:

• An overview of the new non-financial misconduct regime, including what has changed and how the guidance fits within the existing conduct rules and the SMCR framework
• How the FCA expects firms to approach serious non-financial misconduct and the factors firms should consider when assessing whether behaviour raises regulatory concerns
• The implications for senior managers, certified staff and other individuals subject to the conduct rules
• Practical scenarios and case studies, including workplace conduct, management behaviours, work-related social events and the circumstances in which behaviour may become a regulatory concern
• The increasing intersection between HR, compliance and business leadership, and how firms may approach investigations, escalation and decision-making

Speakers:  Suley Siddiqui, Counsel, Akin

Ezra Zahabi, Partner, Akin

Join us for a practical discussion on the new rules and the FCA’s expectations, the areas where firms will continue to need to exercise judgement, and the steps firms should take for the new regime.

This event is for ELFA members only.