Privacy Settings For Committees
In some instances, you may want a board committee to operate privately. Before adjusting the settings for that committee, we recommend you check the board committee requirements in your open meeting law. You may not be allowed to have a private board committee, and you want to be sure you are not in violation of any public meeting requirements. Here are some reasons a committee may want to apply privacy settings:
- Sensitive Information Handling: Committees like audit, risk, or executive compensation may discuss confidential financial data, real estate negotiations, strategic plans, or personal employee information that needs privacy for legal or ethical reasons.
- Enhanced Decision-Making: Privacy can encourage candid discussions without external pressures, allowing committee members to make decisions based on long-term benefits rather than short-term or public opinion.
- Regulatory Compliance: Certain legal or regulatory standards may require that specific topics, such as audit processes or executive compensation, be handled in private to prevent conflicts of interest or insider trading risks.
- Avoiding Public Distraction: Private sessions can prevent misunderstandings among stakeholders regarding strategic discussions or problem-solving measures that might be misconstrued without context.
How to Make a Committee Private in BoardOnTrack
You have the option to make any committee private by checking the 'Members Only' box. This setting will allow only committee members to access the committee's meetings or documents. You can change the access at any time if needed.
Choose the committee you wish to make private. Then click on the three-dot icon and choose the Edit option. An edit box will open, and you can click the 'Members Only' box. Remember to save your changes.
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