New year, new projects. same old ethics? [Spectral Lines]

Late last year, I spent an afternoon taking IEEE's online training in compliance and ethics, a program designed to make sure its staff and volunteers understand the laws, regulations, and policies that govern the organization in its operations around the world. The classes cover rules against bribery, how to recognize conflicts of interest, what constitutes data privacy and security, and employee law in the workplace. I was impressed by the number and variety of issues surveyed.