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FCA Extends Conduct Rules to Bullying, Harassment, Violence

4/28/2026

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Summary

Story summary

FCA will extend Conduct Rules (COCON) to cover serious bullying, harassment and violence from 1 September 2026.
The regulator fined £1.8 million and imposed an industry ban after an individual obstructed internal disciplinary processes.
Guidance requires firms to treat workplace behaviour as a conduct issue, embed non-financial misconduct in risk frameworks, and run dual-track investigations that meet employment-law and Conduct Rules requirements.

History

Historical Context

EU Directive 2000/78 created a continent-wide anti-discrimination framework, later enacted in the UK through the Equality Act 2010 and overseen by the Equality and Human Rights Commission. Building on that legal tradition, the FCA’s 2026 extension of Conduct Rules forces banks such as Barclays and HSBC to embed bullying controls, aiming to prevent £1.8 million fines and bans.

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Story summary

FCA will extend Conduct Rules (COCON) to cover serious bullying, harassment and violence from 1 September 2026.
The regulator fined £1.8 million and imposed an industry ban after an individual obstructed internal disciplinary processes.
Guidance requires firms to treat workplace behaviour as a conduct issue, embed non-financial misconduct in risk frameworks, and run dual-track investigations that meet employment-law and Conduct Rules requirements.

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