Workplace scenarios

The best test of this course is a situation that could land in your inbox next week. For each scenario, decide what you would do before reading on.

Scenario 1: The rugby tickets

You manage a tender for new warehouse equipment. Three days before bids close, the sales director of one bidder emails to offer you two tickets to a Six Nations match, as a thank you for your time this year. The tickets are genuine, the relationship is friendly, and nothing has been asked for in return.

What good looks like: decline politely and promptly, explaining that policy does not allow hospitality while a tender is live. Record the offer and your refusal in the gifts and hospitality register, and mention it to whoever runs the tender. Timing is the problem here, not the tickets: the same offer months after the award might be acceptable with approval.

Scenario 2: The helpful introducer

Your company wants to enter a new overseas market. A consultant appears with impressive government contacts and offers to guarantee a licence approval for 15% of the contract value, half paid up front to an account in a third country. He is vague about what he will actually do, and irritated when asked who owns his company.

What good looks like: stop and escalate before anything is signed or paid. This stacks red flags: a guaranteed outcome from officials, an outsized success fee, payment routed to an unrelated country, and resistance to due diligence. Engaging him without answers could expose the company to a section 7 prosecution. If due diligence cannot resolve the flags, walk away and document why.

Scenario 3: The customs delay

You are travelling for work and a customs officer says your demonstration equipment will be held for inspection for two weeks unless a small express handling fee is paid in cash, with no receipt. Local colleagues say this is just how things work.

What good looks like: refuse politely and ask for the official process, the published tariff, and a receipt. A small unofficial payment to speed up a routine action is a facilitation payment, which UK law treats as a bribe regardless of size or custom. Accept the delay and report the request to your manager or compliance contact. Only if you genuinely fear for your safety should you pay, and then report it as soon as you are safe.

Scenario 4: The quiet family link

You join a panel renewing a cleaning contract and realise one bidder is the firm where your partner works as an operations manager. You are sure you can stay objective, and raising it feels awkward.

What good looks like: declare the conflict before the evaluation goes any further, through your manager or the declarations process. Having the connection is not misconduct; concealing it is. Expect to be moved off the decision, and treat that as protection for you as much as for the process. An undeclared conflict discovered later would taint the whole award.