Student Discipline Policies

🛑 Tolerating toxic behavior isn't harmless. It's a culture killer AND a business blocker. At SHRM's recent conference, they reminded us of something we already know: toxic environments—where bullying, incivility, or exclusion go unchecked—don't just hurt feelings. They destroy trust, tank engagement, and slow down results. And no, “That’s just how they are,” isn’t a leadership style. It's a red flag. The truth is, when people don't feel safe, respected, or valued, they disengage. Disengaged employees don't stick around. The cost? It's missed goals. It's lost talent. Remote work doesn't soften the impact, either. Slack, email, Zoom—they carry toxicity just as easily as a conference room. So, how do we move forward? ➡️ Create a zero-tolerance culture where behaviors are modeled, not just marketed. ➡️ Build reporting structures that are clear, human, and trusted, not buried in red tape or fear. ➡️ Train managers to identify and address toxic patterns before it spreads. Robin Bordogna said it best: “Bullying is mostly not unlawful. But it’s not where you want to be.” Culture is a business outcome. Let's treat it like one 💼 What's one behavior you think companies tolerate for too long? What do you think? #HR #compliance #humanresources #legal #SHRM

Oga Compliance, drop that regulation and go learn the business! Too many compliance professionals hide behind regulations without understanding the business they support. They recite rules they can’t apply, enforce, or defend and then wonder why they don't generate IMPACT. Regulations are open-source. Anyone can read them. Your value lies in applying them effectively and guiding the business on compliant execution which requires deep operational and technical knowledge. If you’re in fintech, you MUST understand: 1. Product management – How products are designed, launched, and iterated. 2. InfoSec – Data security, fraud prevention, and infrastructure risks. 3. Dispute & settlements – How transactions flow, chargebacks work, and liabilities are assigned. If you’re in Traditional Finance (banking, etc.), you MUST understand: 1. Branch & Treasury Operations – The nuts and bolts of transaction processing and internal workflows. 2. Trade finance – How cross-border deals, LC issuance, and supply chain financing work. 3. Relationship & Private Banking – Processes for engaging clients, structuring deals, and manage portfolios. 4. ERM – The fundamentals of lending, risk assessment, and risk appetite. My ideology is that we don’t just "enforce" compliance, we co-create solutions. - We don’t just say NO. We offer better, more compliant alternatives. - We don’t reject business from a distance. We sit with the business/their customer, discuss, and align. (If you know your stuff, everyone leaves that meeting convinced, even the customer.) - We champion initiatives, co-own projects and provide firm risk-aware postulations/advisory that enable Executives support decisions with less worry of negative outcomes. - We iterate. We modify our compliance programs as many times as needed to adapt to new ventures and initiatives the Business are interested. Yes, compliance is about adherence but its not a spectator sport and businesses speak in acquisitions, turnover, and strategy. Drop the "regulation recitation" mindset and start mastering the language of the business you support, tie your advisory to risk-reward dynamics, and drive home the ultimate goal: Cost-saving and strategic enablement.

#PauseonForeignAID #NONUSAID #DOS Under 2 CFR 200, there are no specific provisions that allow for the suspension of work in the context of "pausing work for reasons other than disciplinary actions." However, USAID’s supplement at 2 CFR 700.14 and Mandatory Standard Provision M.10 (for non-U.S. recipients and subrecipients) do provide a mechanism for pausing work within USAID programs. In contrast, Department of State (DoS) programs, governed by 2 CFR 200 and the DoS supplement, do not include any clauses that specifically address Stop Work Orders. Instead, the DoS appears to rely on termination clauses as a means of halting work. This implies that the DoS may be informally requesting agreement from recipients to pause work voluntarily, as they lack a regulatory clause allowing for a unilateral Stop Work Order. If this interpretation is correct, the DoS is effectively seeking the recipients’ acceptance of an implicit Stop Work clause. Under normal circumstances, the introduction of additional terms—such as a Stop Work provision—would require mutual negotiation with recipients. As such, recipients may be in a position to request consideration in exchange for agreeing to the new terms. This consideration could take the form of: 📄 Negotiation of reasonable continuity costs, ensuring recipients are compensated for maintaining readiness during the suspension. 📗 Preparation for potential future Requests for Equitable Adjustment (REAs) to address any additional costs or impacts arising from the pause. Given this context, it is reasonable to advise recipients to approach the situation strategically, ensuring any agreement to new terms is accompanied by appropriate compensation or provisions for cost recovery. #Thoughts?

Demurrage vs Detention , What's the Real Difference? Came across cases in which these two words are used interchangeably which often cause confusion and companies pay more than they expect: -Demurrage: This is a charge for a container that remains inside the port or terminal after the free time has ended. It is essentially a storage fee charged by the shipping line to prevent port congestion and incentivize the prompt pickup of cargo -Detention: This is a charge for a container that is outside the port but has not been returned to the shipping line within the allowed timeframe. It is a "late return fee" that compensates the shipping line for the extended use of their container equipment These fees can run into hundreds of dollars per day per container if not managed correctly. How to avoid them? -Check Free Time: Always confirm the number of free days for both demurrage and detention at the Port of Discharge (POD) before booking a shipment. -Plan Ahead: Coordinate customs clearance and inland trucking services early to ensure a smooth and timely process. Communicate with Your Client: Keep all parties involved, especially the client, informed of the timelines and potential for fees to manage expectations and ensure a fast turnaround. Because in logistics, small delays = big bills.

When we think about women's safety at work, when was the last time we thought beyond physical security measures? We often limit the conversation to CCTV, security personnel, or late-night cabs. But safety extends far beyond these physical aspects. Emotional and psychological safety are just as crucial. Many women are silently forced to step back from pursuing their careers—not because they lack ambition or due to safety concerns, but because of the perceived threat of an unsafe work environment. This withdrawal isn't just a personal loss; it's a loss for the workforce and for our country's economic growth. But there's more to consider than just physical safety. Casual objectification, often disguised as "harmless" jokes or offhand comments about appearance, can erode a woman's confidence over time. These seemingly insignificant remarks send a clear message about how we value people. And it's not only men who contribute to this culture. Women can sometimes undermine each other too—through competition, exclusion, bad-mouthing, or silence. When women pull each other down, it reinforces the very barriers we should be breaking. So, what can organizations do differently? - Create a zero-tolerance policy for objectification: Strong policies against inappropriate comments must be backed by training and real consequences, ensuring that everyone understands that respect is non-negotiable.  - Empower employees to call out "harmless" behavior: Create safe channels where everyone can challenge casual sexism and disrespect without fear of retaliation. A silent workplace is a complicit one.  - Foster collaboration, not competition: Introduce mentoring and peer-support programs where women can lift each other up rather than feeling the need to compete in male-dominated environments.  - Hold leadership accountable: It's essential for leaders, both male and female, to set the tone and call out behavior in real-time. Culture change starts at the top.  - Change the culture, not just policies: A workplace free from bias is a place where women will feel empowered to rise into leadership roles, shaping the future of the organization. A company with gender balance at every level performs better, innovates more, and builds trust. Safety isn't just about protection—it's about creating a workplace where everyone can focus on their work, free from distractions, discomfort, or fear. When we address the full scope of safety—emotional, psychological, and professional—we create environments where people can truly thrive. In the end, it's not just about protecting women—it's about ensuring that the best ideas, the most innovative minds, and the fullest potential can come forward. A balanced, respectful workplace benefits us all. #WorkplaceSafety #GenderEquality #InclusiveCulture

No detention policy (NDP) of Right to Education (RTE) Act has been scraped and I love the debate. Educators have always debated over No Detention Policy since its introduction 15 years back. And now that NDP is scrapped, some educators have celebrated it and some others have called it a move against fundamental right to education. Here's my two pence: When we say a child has failed, we fundamentally blame the child, suggesting they didn’t do well. But why don’t we place the blame on the system or the state? Fear of failure cannot drive true learning. Moreover, students who fail rarely stay in school - they often drop out entirely. The RTE placed the responsibility on the state to ensure that every child receives compulsory education and no one is left out of the system. However, on the ground, “no detention” often translated to apathy. In many parts of the country, students and parents too didn’t care about academic progress, knowing promotion was guaranteed. I have personally witnessed how teachers were forced to promote students even when they had learned nothing. This led to serious problems, including massive learning deficiencies that compounded over the years, making them nearly impossible to address in higher grades. For context, I’ve discussed in another post how the real pass percentage in Grade 10 is not 33% but closer to 10%. Does scrapping the NDP solve this? Will it make the state more accountable? It does kill the essence of RTE but, I believe we are not ready for this policy. The NDP, as a policy, is not inherently flawed - the issue lies in its ground-level implementation. A great policy becomes ineffective if the system isn’t equipped to support it. Right now, NDP is failing because children are not learning under it. But on the other hand, without it, they’re not even staying in school, and the system thrives on fear rather than education. So, debating whether or not we should have the NDP is meaningless at this point. Neither approach works for us today. Instead, we need to address the deeper systemic issues that hinder its success. NDP is a great policy and we need to work hard for it to be a success and bring it back. One crucial way forward is through Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE). Strong ECCE ensures children begin their schooling journey with solid foundations, significantly reducing learning gaps later. Alongside this, we need to equip teachers to handle diverse learners and address foundational gaps, and actively engage parents in the learning process, so they see the value in education beyond just promotion. Also, we need to make schools, administrators, and the state responsible for elementary education. NDP is not the problem - scraping it and keeping it doesn't solve anything. Let’s focus on fixing the roots instead of chopping the branches. Only then can policies like NDP truly fulfill their purpose. #education #rte #ndp #righttoeducation #nodetentionpolicy #ECCE #priyankeducator

87% drop in suspensions. Zero expulsions. That's what happens when schools commit to restorative practices. But my executive director pulled me aside: "You tried restorative practices. Maybe the pendulum needs to swing back." This was after a student pulled our fire alarm twice in one week. 🚨 I had a choice: crack down with demerits and suspensions like our feeder middle school would have... or lean deeper into what I learned living on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Here's what happened instead: The fire chief slow-walked his inspection, keeping our 200+ students outside in the drizzly cold until someone came forward. When we identified the student, we formed a circle. No suspension. No punishment. Instead, the fire chief partnered with this student on a research project. Three weeks later, during our community meeting, this kid stood before the entire school and delivered a presentation that left everyone speechless. He explained how our false alarm deployed 5 fire departments. How the stress chemicals flooding first responders' bodies shorten their life expectancy. How an elderly woman fell in her kitchen across town and had to wait for EMTs from Massachusetts because everyone else was at our school. Pin-drop silence. Then gasps. Kids looking at each other with mouths open. The student later joked with me: "Mister, that was tough. I would rather have been suspended." This moment shifted everything. Kids realized restorative practices wasn't about "getting off easy" - it was about real accountability to community. Here's what the data shows about standing your ground: • 87% drop in suspensions when schools commit to restorative practices • Black students see 2x the benefit compared to traditional discipline • 18% fewer suspension days across entire districts Rural school leaders: Your communities need you to lean into approaches that honor your culture. The data backs you up. Your students are counting on your courage. 🗣️ What's one "different" approach you've wanted to try but felt pressure to abandon? Let's talk about it. ✌🏽 🙏🏽

Confronting the Shadows – Staff Bullying in Schools I had this article published in Education Today -“Confronting the Shadows.” The article examines a deeply uncomfortable yet critical reality - staff bullying staff in our schools. https://lnkd.in/gxeXp7Sv The theme isn’t about students harassing each other. It is about adults, colleagues, teachers, leaders, undermining each other through - 🔴 Passive‑aggressive remarks and backhanded compliments 🔴 Withholding vital information, or social exclusion 🔴 Undermining professional authority and contribution These behaviours damage morale, erode trust, and strike at the heart of school culture. Why this matters - 💡 Power dynamics – hierarchies and unhealthy cultural norms can entrench bullying 💡 Wellbeing & retention – staff who feel bullied are more likely to leave the profession, often silently 💡 Cultural contagion – when staff treat each other poorly, it sends a ripple effect through the whole school community. What we can do - ✅ Recognise these behaviours as bullying, not ‘just staff politics.’ ✅ Develop clear anti-bullying policies that apply to all staff ✅ Foster a culture of transparent communication, accountability, and mutual support. ✅ Provide leadership training to identify, address, and prevent staff-to-staff bullying. If we truly value schools as communities of care, we must be willing to look not only at how adults care for students, but how we care for each other. Read more and reflect - https://lnkd.in/gxeXp7Sv Together, let’s shine a light on the shadows, and build healthier school cultures. #EducationalLeadership #SchoolCulture #Wellbeing #SchoolLeaders #StaffWellbeing #ProfessionalCulture #BullyingAwareness

3 things a Compliance Officer can't miss!  A great compliance officer isn’t just a rule follower. They’re a - strategic enabler, - balancing regulatory knowledge, - business insight, and - operational execution. Here are my 3 "Knows", that I followed while working in - Banks, - NBFC, and - Fintechs: 1) Know the Regulations 🔍  - Stay ahead of evolving laws (RBI, SEBI, AML, etc.), interpret complexity   - Assess how they impact business policies and processes.   - Compliance isn’t just about knowing the rules, it is about applying them. 2) Know the Business 💼  - Knowing company operations is key to identifying potential regulatory risks.   - A compliance officer isn’t an outsider policing the organization  - They’re a trusted advisor who ensures sustainable growth with Compliance. 3) Know the Program 🛠️  - From policy creation to internal audits, compliance isn’t a one-time activity  - It’s a continuous monitoring, training, proactive risk management process.   - Effective compliance officers don’t just react to breaches they prevent them. 💡 The takeaway?   - Compliance officers aren’t a roadblock  - they’re the bridge between regulation and business success. What’s the biggest compliance challenge you’ve faced? Let’s discuss. 👇 📌For Job/AI/Case studies:(Refer 1st pinned comment) #Compliance #Regulations #RiskManagement #BFSI #Fintech #AML #Governance #LIPostingChallengeIndia #complianceofficer #chiefcomplianceofficer I'm Abhishek. Founder - The Upskill School I help BFSI mid-career professionals to “upskill” and “achieve career growth”  in the “compliance domain”,  using my patented PERKS Model