Whistleblower Policy
Our employees, suppliers, customers and supporters are individuals with the right to be heard.
Individuals that contribute to or interact with Team Employment are free to express their own views and to commicate information outside of Team Employment to support disclosure of suspected innapropriate activities. We believe that a relationship as an employer, supplier or customer to any individual inherently brings with it a responsibility to support that individual to commicate their suspicions to appropriate agencies.
We publicy share our company policy here. Version 1.01, 19th May 2023
1. Disclosure, third party TEMPLATE
The Team Employment Whistleblower Policy is based on a template downloaded from FaceUp (https://www.faceup.com/en).
FaceUp are a company that has built a Whistleblowing application. After attemping to write a policy from scratch it became obvious that a Whistleblowing policy needed to be written externally. It is a policy specificaly designed to ensure that whistlerblowers are given protection within Team Employment it should therefore, not be written by the owner of Team Employment.
2. THE POLICY
PURPOSE
Team Employment is committed to conducting all business activities fairly, transparently, honestly, and in full compliance with all legal and regulatory standards. To uphold this commitment, it is necessary to have a clear and robust whistleblower policy. The goal of this policy is to ensure that all reports or concerns about improper, unethical, or illegal behavior or circumstances involving Team Employment’s property, personnel, suppliers, customers, or any other third parties associated with Team Employment activities are handled effectively, securely, appropriately, and in full compliance with the law. Team Employment encourages all members and partners to report these concerns and will provide guidance and channels to do so.
SCOPE
This policy applies to all Team Employment entities and personnel (including directors, shareholders, executives, employees, contractors, consultants, and interns) regardless of the team or office they work in. It also covers any actions or concerns related to Team Employment suppliers, customers, or any other third parties with whom Team Employment has dealings.
REPORTABLE CONDUCT
Team Employment encourages all personnel to report any behavior or situation that they find concerning. This broadly falls into two categories:
CATERGORY ONE: THREATS TO COMPANY REPUTATION OR FINANCIAL HOLDINGS
The first category relates to behavior that could harm Team Employment’s reputation or financial health. The list below provides guidelines on what should be reported, but it is not exhaustive, and personnel are encouraged to use their best judgment if they witness concerning behavior that falls outside of the listed items.
- Fraud
- Theft
- embezzlement
- corruption
- Blackmail
- Bribery
- Financial malpractice
- Tax evasion
- Failure to comply with legal or professional obligations
- Failure to comply with regulatory requirements
- Conduct that threatens Team Employment’s reputation or financial well-being
- Actions that would endanger the health or safety of Team Employment personnel or the public
- Actions that cause damage to the environment
- The provision of false information to public officers
- A miscarriage of justice
- Unauthorized disclosure of confidential information
CATERGORY TWO: CONCERNS REGARDING THE WELL-BEING AND EFFECTIVENESS OF PERSONNEL
The second category that should be reported includes actions or concerns related to the effectiveness and productivity of Team Employment personnel. This is a broader category of behaviors. If you are concerned about the well-being of a colleague or have a suggestion for how Team Employment could improve the workplace or environment, Team Employment encourages you to raise the issue.
Unlike category one concerns, Team Employment cannot guarantee that each issue will be addressed. However, Team Employment is committed to making the workplace as open, transparent, and pleasant as possible. Issues that could be addressed include, but are not limited to:
- Concerns about a colleague’s emotional, mental, or physical health.
- Suggestions for how to improve the workplace.
- Concerns about discrimination, exclusion, or other forms of unfair treatment.
- Concerns about a colleague’s behavior, such as sexual harassment, threatening behavior, or behavior that makes other personnel uncomfortable.
HOW TO MAKE A DISCLOSURE
SPEAK TO YOUR SUPERVISOR
The first and preferred method for raising concerns is to speak to your direct supervisor. You can send an email requesting a meeting and raise the issue in person.
If the whistleblower wishes to remain anonymous or is concerned that their supervisor is somehow involved in the concerning activity, or if they believe their supervisor’s response is insufficient, they may raise the concerns with a member of Team Employment who should be aware of the issue.
USE AN AN ANONYMOUS WHISTLEBLOWING SYSTEM
If the whistleblower needs to report an issue concerning the workplace or their job they can access information and linbks to make an anonymous report through the Fair Work Website here:
https://www.fairwork.gov.au/workplace-problems/send-us-an-anonymous-tip-off
If the whistleblower needs to report an issue concerning the misconduct or breaches of law by Team Employment as an entity they can follow the information provided by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) here:
REPORT TO APPROPRIATE AUTHORITIES
Finally, Team Employment recognizes that there may be exceptional circumstances where it is necessary to consult an external third party such as a regulator or the police. Team Employment strongly advises seeking guidance and advice before going to a third party. This guidance and advice can come from whistleblowing support groups, or the government agency that oversees whistleblowing issues. Consult your local laws for the most appropriate guidance for your personnel.
INVESTIGATION
Once a report is received, it will be assigned to the appropriate party in Team Employment to assess its credibility. If the report is deemed credible, the assigned party will continue the investigation and may contact the whistleblower through the FaceUp app to get more information. If the report is found to be intentionally false, the whistleblower will face disciplinary action.
COMPANY RESPONSE
In the event that illegal activity is discovered, Team Employment will refer the case to the proper authorities and provide all of the evidence gathered. In the case of legal but concerning activity, Team Employment will respond on a case-by-case basis, ranging from providing support to affected personnel to dismissal if a person is found to be behaving in a way that violates the terms of their contract or is contributing to a hostile work environment.
PROTECTION FOR WHISTLEBLOWERS
Team Employment will take necessary measures to protect the whistleblower’s identity and protect them from retaliation. Harassment, discrimination, or retaliation against the whistleblower will not be tolerated. Any form of retaliation will be seen as grounds for disciplinary action or dismissal.
