Non-financial misconduct in General Insurance

Event Overview

From 1 September 2026, the FCA introduces new rules to tackle Non-Financial Misconduct (NFM) in regulated firms which will have a bearing on the Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SMCR).

NFM covers behaviours such as bullying, harassment, discrimination and violence that undermine workplace culture and regulatory standards.  The FCA now treats these behaviours as serious forms of misconduct that may breach rules and NFM becomes a regulatory issue when it affects colleagues, the working environment or an individual’s ability to meet their responsibilities.  Firms must factor NFM or related conduct issues into annual SMCR certifications and the new rules also update guidance on incidents that should be reported and also disclosed in regulatory references.

The new rules apply only where behaviour impacts workplace conduct or regulatory obligations plus we have relatively new laws on preventing sexual harassment at work.

We will also look at the survey results of 1,028 employers (cover 326,000 employees), press coverage in and out of the sector, Parliament’s Sexism in the City Report and why a better culture is needed together with wholesale changes in behaviour. 

This talk is very much interactive and those attending will be encouraged to share their thoughts (if they wish to) and experiences on the route to cultural maturity, motivators and what a good and healthy culture looks like.

Learning objectives - by the end of this event delegates will have gained an insight into:

•        What the FCA expect;

•        SMCR changes;

•        How Regulatory Referencing will have an impact;

•        Legal duty to prevent sexual harassment at work.

Speaker bio

I started my insurance career in 1987 and have worked across the sector including stints at PwC and GISC and have led my own consultancy practice since 2004 working closely with AMII, BIBA and the CII and have provided hundreds of well-received (even entertaining!) talks.  I am a recipient of the Thomson Reuters Compliance Personality of the Year Award, the London Market People Award for Legal and Compliance and was Highly Commended in the CII Public Trust Awards in 2021.  I am proud to judge various insurance awards and am always being approached for engaging commentary and analysis.