Click an item from the list below for a definition
and examples of the behavior and activities you
can report to HR Hotline…
Harassment
Discrimination
Accounting Fraud & Sarbanes-Oxley
Violations
Compliance Violations
Unsafe Work Conditions
Violence & Threats
Conflicts of Interest
Misconduct & Ethical Violations
Harassment
Harassment is uninvited and unwelcome written,
verbal or physical conduct directed at an employee
because of his or her age, sex, sexual orientation,
race, religion, color, ethnicity or disability.
Examples may include inappropriate language; ethnic
slurs; posters, drawings or photographs of a sexual
nature; “dirty” jokes or jokes based
on any of the covered traits; touching or gestures
of a suggestive nature; and any language or activity
that would tend to denigrate a person based on
one or more of the covered traits.
<top>
Discrimination
Hiring decisions, promotions, work assignments,
educational decisions, compensation, benefits and
termination which are biased based on a person’s
age, sex, sexual orientation, race, religion, color,
ethnicity or disability all may be examples of
discrimination. In some instances, a decision that
appears to be discriminatory may be based on critical
job requirements.
<top>
Accounting Fraud & Sarbanes-Oxley
Violations
Accounting fraud is the unethical recording and
analysis of business and financial transactions
contrary to generally accepted accounting practices.
For public corporations, these infractions are
now covered by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
Examples include misstatement of revenues, expenses
and/or assets; misrepresenting the value of a company;
misapplications of generally accepted accounting
principles; securities violations, including insider
trading; and any other financial activity designed
to mislead investors, auditors or government agencies.
<top>
Compliance Violations
Violation of laws or regulations, whether accidental
or intentional, falls under the category of compliance
violations, if not covered under another section.
Many federal and state agencies have oversight
in compliance areas.
Examples of compliance violations may include
failure to post required notices; improper disposal
of waste; unclean work areas; improper shipping;
wrongful disposal of records; improper product
labeling; and many more. If you are unsure about
a complaint or do not see it covered in another
section, a complaint filed under compliance violations
will be channeled properly.
<top>
Unsafe Work Conditions
Situations in which workers are exposed to harm
or death due are unsafe working conditions. OSHA
and the EPA are the federal agencies most likely
to be involved in unsafe work conditions cases.
Examples may include missing machinery guards;
failure to erect railings, nets and/or safety barriers;
poor ventilation; repetitive motions; and exposure
to harmful chemicals or biological agents. Improper
supervision; poor housekeeping, improper storage
or disposal of materials and tools; and failure
to post proper warning signs may also lead to unsafe
work conditions.
If
you feel an unsafe work condition poses an
immediate threat of injury or death to you
or anyone else, call OSHA at 1-800-321-6742.
<top>
Violence & Threats
The infliction of evil, injury or damage to a
person or their property is violence, and the threat
to commit violence is just as serious, whether
the threat is direct, conditional or veiled.
An example of a direct threat might be someone
saying, “I am going hurt you.”
An example of a conditional threat might be someone
saying, “If you don’t do what I want,
I’m going to hurt you.”
An example of a veiled threat might be someone
saying, “I’d hate to see anyone get
hurt just because they won’t do what I want.”
If
you or anyone else is in immediate danger of
physical harm, you should
dial 9-1-1, or your local law enforcement agency.
<top>
Conflicts of Interest
A conflict of interest arises when a person has
a private or personal interest sufficient to appear
to influence the objective performance of his or
her duties. Examples may include bribery; receiving
gifts in return for advantages in pricing or performance;
misusing confidential information; nepotism in
employment practices; and inappropriate customer
or vendor relationships.
<top>
Misconduct & Ethical
Violations
Though some misconduct and ethical breaches may
be prosecuted as compliance violations, these violations
are more particular to a company’s or organization’s
own standards of conduct.
Examples may include misappropriation of funds
(embezzlement) or property (theft); altering or
forging documents and contracts in order to gain
unfair advantage; misrepresenting the value of
a contract; violating company policies or accepted
standards of behavior; falsifying time cards or
work records; mishandling cash; and much more.
<top>
| Need to make a
report? |
 |
| Want to become a client? |
 |
|
