Introduction
In any business operation, managers need to know how different administrative laws work and how they can affect their business. Confidential information and trade secrets can be integral to the success of businesses in all industries as they bid to outperform their competitors and take over the market. As such, it can be vital for businesses to understand the law as it applies to confidential information and trade secrets and to take adequate steps to ensure that they are properly protected.
Discussion
The law, as it relates to confidential information, is built upon the equitable principle that a person who has received information in confidence cannot take unfair advantage of it and must not use it to the detriment of the person who provided the information without their consent (Rosenbloom, 2018). Confidential information can be protected indefinitely so long as it is confidential.
Personnel policies refer to principles and rules of conduct that “formulate, redefine, break into details and decide several actions” that govern the relationship with employees in attaining the organizations. However, there are two exceptions to open records can be made:
- Records that may contain information that can cause the government to lose funds or cause physical harm to the individual are exempted.
- A record that may contain information regarding the destruction of a building, infrastructure, or any other building or public utility.
Conclusion
The Whistleblower Protection Act protects employees of the federal government who may be in danger for having valuable information that may cause danger or harm to the general public if disclosed publicly. Whistleblower Provision — a key provision within the Dodd-Frank Act that requires the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to award whistleblowers a payment equal to 10 to 30 percent of the proceeds (recovered from corporations that violate U.S. securities laws) based on information provided by the whistleblower (Rosenbloom, 2018). Significantly, the SEC will not provide awards for such information unless it produces actual monetary recoveries.
Reference
Rosenbloom, D. H. (2018). Administrative law for public managers. Routledge.