The Globe and Mail reports in its Monday, Sept. 8, edition that the removal of Laurent Freixe from his position as chief executive officer of Nestle due to an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate highlights the progress and ongoing challenges in managing workplace conduct. The Globe's guest columnist Gus Carlson writes that employee complaints through the internal hotline, Speak Up, revealed the issue despite Nestle initially denying it. This led to an investigation resulting in Mr. Freixe's dismissal, reinforcing the importance of holding leaders to high standards. Nestle emphasized its commitment to strong values, expecting all employees, including senior leadership, to uphold them. The behaviour of Mr. Freixe and other recently dismissed CEOs highlights a concerning tendency among some executives to ignore stricter workplace standards regarding personal relationships. In doing so, they put significant financial stakes and their roles as ethical leaders at risk, sending a message to stakeholders, especially employees, that they are above the rules they impose and enforce. While Nestle has not revealed how much of Mr. Freixe's wealth it may claw back, the precedent in such cases is not in his favour.