Frequently Asked Questions

Our Whistleblowing Line is a comprehensive and confidential reporting tool created by NAVEX that enables management and employees to work together to address any unethical behavior.

• Our employees are our most important asset. By creating open channels of communication, we promote a positive work environment and maximize productivity.
• An effective reporting system augments our other efforts to foster a culture of integrity and ethical decision-making.

Yes. Our Whistleblowing Line enables you to file a confidential, anonymous report via either the telephone or the Internet.

Our Whistleblowing Line allows you to report any violation of our stated Code of Conduct.

When you observe some behavior that you believe violates our code of conduct, we expect you to report it. Ideally, if you are an employee, you should bring any concerns forward to your direct manager or other member of our management team. We recognize, however, that there may be circumstances when you are not comfortable reporting the issue in this manner. It is for such circumstances that we have partnered with NAVEX. We would rather you report anonymously than keep the information to yourself.

We all have the right to work in a positive environment and with that right comes the responsibility of acting in an ethical manner and letting the appropriate people know if someone is not acting appropriately. By working together, we can maintain a healthy and productive environment. An unethical behavior can threaten the very existence of an entire company.

We certainly do. In fact, we need you to report. You know what is going on in our company - both good and bad. You may have initial knowledge of an activity that may be cause for concern. Your reporting can minimize the potential negative impact on the company and our people. Also, offering positive input may help identify issues that can improve corporate culture and performance.

Reports are entered directly on the Our Whistleblowing Line secure server. NAVEX makes these reports available only to specific individuals within the company who are charged with evaluating the report, based on the type of violation and location of the incident. Each of these report recipients has had training in keeping these reports in the utmost confidence.

No. Our Whistleblowing Line is a positive aspect of our overall philosophy that allows us to ensure a safe, secure and ethical workplace. You are encouraged to seek guidance on ethical dilemmas, provide positive suggestions, or communicate a concern. Effective communication is critical in today’s workplace and this is a great tool to enhance that communication.

We have carefully chosen the best reporting tool to meet our compliance obligations while maintaining a positive reporting environment.

NAVEX does not generate or maintain any internal connection logs with IP addresses, so no information linking your PC to Our Whistleblowing Line is available.

If you feel uncomfortable making a report on your work PC, you have the option of using a PC outside our work environment (such as one located at an Internet café or at a friend’s house) through the Our Whistleblowing Line secure website. Many people choose this option, as NAVEX data shows that fewer than 12% of reports are generated during business hours.

A report from home, a neighbor’s computer, or any Internet portal will remain secure and anonymous. An Internet portal never identifies a visitor by screen name and Our Whistleblowing Line strips away Internet addresses so that anonymity is totally maintained.

Our Whistleblowing Line protects your anonymity. However, if you wish to remain anonymous, you - as a reporting party - need to ensure that the body of the report does not reveal your identity by accident. For example, “From my cube next to Jan Smith…” or “In my 33 years…”.

Yes. You will be asked to provide the same information that you would provide in an Internet-based report and an interviewer will type your responses into Our Whistleblowing Line Web site. These reports have the same security and confidentiality measures applied to them during delivery.

There is a section in the report to identify yourself, if you wish.

Our company promotes ethical behavior. All unethical conduct, at any level, ultimately hurts the company and all employees, including you. You only have to consider what happened in recent corporate scandals to see the disastrous effects that a lapse in ethics can have on an otherwise healthy company. If you know of any incidents of misconduct or ethical violations, consider it your duty to yourself and your coworkers to report it.

File a report. NAVEX can help you prepare and file your report so it can be properly understood. We'd rather you report a situation that turns out to be harmless than let possible unethical behavior go unchecked.

Our Whistleblowing Line and report distribution ensure that implicated parties are not notified or granted access to reports in which they have been named.

When you file a report at Our Whistleblowing Line Web site or through Our Whistleblowing Line Call Center, you receive a unique, randomized number called a “Report Key” and are asked to choose a password. You can return to Our Whistleblowing Line again either by Internet or telephone and access the original report to add more detail or answer questions posed by a company representative. We strongly suggest that you return to the site in the time specified to answer company questions. You and the company now have entered into an “anonymous dialogue,” where situations are not only identified, but can also be resolved, no matter how complex.

All Our Whistleblowing Line correspondences are held in the same strict confidence as the initial report, continuing under the umbrella of anonymity.

To ensure that security and confidentiality is maintained, if you lose your Alert Key or password, you will need to file a new report. Mention in the new report that it is related to a report or question you previously submitted.

You can file a whistleblowing report from any computer that can access the Internet. You can file from home. Many public locations, including the public library, have Internet computers. If you don’t have access to or are uncomfortable using a computer, you can call Our Whistleblowing Line toll-free hotline, which is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.