Whistleblower Policy
Ethics Reporting Policy
Policy
The Calgary Drop-In & Centre (the DI) is committed to open, accountable, ethical and transparent governance which encourages a culture of integrity and honesty. An important aspect of accountability and transparency is a mechanism to enable employees to voice concerns in a responsible and effective manner when thy discover information which they believe shows serious malpractice. In order to meet current standards in the area of possible accounting and auditing irregularities and fraud as well as to discourage illegal activity and unethical business conduct, the DI has developed this Ethics Reporting Policy. This policy is intended to provide an environment in which employees are encouraged to raise serious concerns without risk of discrimination or adverse employment actions. The DI ensures confidentiality and anonymity for the person reporting a concern, unless it is incompatible with a fair investigation or required by law.
Procedure
Reporting Responsibility
It is the responsibility of every employee who is aware of or suspects a violation of the DI`s policies or matters of concern to report the incident as soon as possible using the reporting standard in this policy.
Matters of Concern
1. Examples of concerns relating to financial, accounting and auditing practices
- Fraud, including falsification of records
- Breaches of internal financial controls and audit procedures
- ‘Side deals ‘or ‘under the table’ dealings with contractors for personal benefits
- Unethical or illegal practices
- Unauthorized use, misuse or waste of DI assets or funds
2. Examples of concerns relating to quality or malpractice of care
- Abuse of individuals
- Negligence of vulnerable persons
3. Examples of violations of human resource policies and legislation
- Bullying and harassment
- Discrimination of any kind
4. Other examples
- Criminal offenses of any kind
- Danger to health and safety
- Conflict of interest
Reporting Procedures
Concerns about the DI may be disclosed in the following ways (either verbally or in writing):
Employees shall report their concern to their direct Supervisor, their Manager and or Human Resources, recognizing that this depends on the seriousness and sensitivity of the issues involved and who is suspected of wrongdoing. Any issue brought to a supervisor shall be immediately forwarded to the related Director and Executive Director.
In any case, employees may submit their concern directly to a Director or to the Executive Director of the DI. A concern involving a Director should be submitted directly to the Executive Director.
A concern involving the Associate Executive Director or Director, Finance should be submitted directly to the Executive Director.
A concern involving the Executive Director or the Board of Directors should be submitted to the Chair of the Board of Directors.
A concern involving the Chair of the Board of Directors should be submitted to the Chair of the Governance Committee.
If an employee has attempted to report through this process and feels that the response is not adequate, or, if an employee feels that reporting a concern through this process will prejudice employment or a positive future in the organization, reporting through Workplace Fairness West is encouraged. This ombudsman office can be reached at 403-454-3247and/or thedi@workplacefairness.ca.
Acting in Good Faith
Any employee submitting an allegation must be acting in good faith with reasonable grounds for believing there is a breach of the code of conduct or inappropriate practices. An employee who makes an unsubstantiated allegation which is knowingly false or has been made maliciously or in bad faith will be subject to disciplinary action, which may include termination of employment.
No Retaliation
No employee who in good faith and under this policy reports any violation or submits a concern shall suffer harassment, retaliation or adverse consequences. Any individual who retaliates against someone reporting an incident in good faith will be subject to discipline, which may include termination of employment.
Confidentiality
The DI will treat every allegation made as confidential and privileged. Therefore, the identity of any person who makes a good faith allegation must be kept confidential and anonymous, if requested, unless it is incompatible with a fair investigation or required by law. In such instances the employee registering the concern will be informed in advance. Information will only be made available on a need-to-know basis.
The DI will pay due regard to fairness to any individual named in the allegation, the seriousness of the issue, and credibility of the information.
Handling of Reports
All reports will be taken seriously. The DI is committed to investigate allegations of improper activity and inappropriate behaviours as soon as possible, taking into account the seriousness and complexity of the reported issue. An officer will be assigned by the Associate Executive Director or Executive Director and will conduct an objective, timely and fair investigation, respecting the rights of individuals. Complacency, deception or cover up of wrongdoings and violation against a code of conduct is not tolerated.
Investigation
If on preliminary investigation the allegation is judged to be without substance or merit, the matter will be dismissed and the employee disclosing the concern informed of the decision and reasons for such a dismissal.
If, at the conclusion of an investigation, The DI determines that a violation or wrongdoing has occurred, the DI will take remedial action equal to the severity of the offence. This may include disciplinary action with termination of contracts and reporting to police and regulatory authorities.
Retention of Reports
The DI will maintain a record of all reported allegations. All documents related to reporting, investigation and enforcement of this policy will be kept in accordance with DI policies and applicable law.
