What is Responsible business conducts hotline?
Responsible business conducts hotline is the Ricoh reporting channel for external stakeholders. It is a confidential channel via the telephone or internet to raise suspicions or concerns about violation of human rights and responsible business conducts, including possible breach of the Ricoh Group Code of Conduct, our policies, international or national laws, regulations, standards or guidelines.
May I report using either the Internet or the telephone?
Yes. Responsible business conducts hotline enables you to file a confidential, anonymous report via either the telephone or the Internet.
What types of situations should I report?
You can raise suspicions or concerns about violation of human rights and responsible business conducts, including possible breach of the Ricoh Group Code of Conduct, our policies, international or national laws, regulations, standards or guidelines.
Where do these reports go? Who can access them?
Reports are entered directly on the Responsible business conducts hotline 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.
It is my understanding that any report I send from a company computer generates a server log that shows every website that my PC connects with. Won’t this log identify me as the report originator?
NAVEX does not generate or maintain any internal connection logs with IP addresses, so no information linking your PC to Responsible business conducts hotline 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 Responsible business conducts hotline secure website. Many people choose this option, as NAVEX data shows that fewer than 12% of reports are generated during business hours.
Can I file a report from home and still remain anonymous?
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 the Responsible business conducts hotline system strips away Internet addresses so that anonymity is totally maintained.
I am concerned that the information I provide Responsible business conducts hotline will ultimately reveal my identity. How can you assure me that will not happen?
The Responsible business conducts hotline system 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…”.
Is the telephone toll-free hot line confidential and anonymous too?
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 the Responsible business conducts hotline Web site. These reports have the same security and confidentiality measures applied to them during delivery.
What if I want to be identified with my report?
There is a section in the report to identify yourself, if you wish.
I am not sure if what I have observed or heard is a violation of company policy, or involves unethical conduct, but it just does not look right to me. What should I do?
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.
What if my boss or other managers are involved in a violation? Won’t they get the report and start a cover-up?
The Responsible business conducts hotline system and report distribution ensure that implicated parties are not notified or granted access to reports in which they have been named.
What if I remember something important about the incident after I file the report? Or what if the company has further questions for me concerning my report?
When you file a report at the Responsible business conducts hotline Web site or through the EthicsPoint Call Center, you receive a unique, randomized number called a “Report Key” and are asked to choose a password. You can return to the Responsible business conducts hotline system 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.
Are these follow-ups on reports as secure as the first one?
All Responsible business conducts hotline correspondences are held in the same strict confidence as the initial report, continuing under the umbrella of anonymity.
What if I lose my Report Key or forget the Password I created?
To ensure that security and confidentiality is maintained, if you lose your report 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.
Can I still file a report if I don’t have access to the Internet?
You can file a Responsible business conducts hotline 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 the Responsible business conducts hotline toll-free hotline, which is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.