EthicsPoint FAQ
What happens when I contact the hotline?
Whether or not you choose to remain anonymous, the Hotline allows for two-way communication with an investigator.
When you contact the Hotline via the EthicsPoint website or by telephone, you receive a unique username and are asked to create a password. You also make the choice of whether or not you want to remain anonymous. You can return to the EthicsPoint system online or by phone to access your file by using your unique username and password. The Audit & Compliance Office can also leave messages for you on the system. By logging on, you can answer questions, provide more detail or ask additional questions. We recommended that you return to the site regularly to check your file.
In addition, when you contact the Helpline via the EthicsPoint website, you are able to attach word documents, spreadsheets, pictures and even videos (50 MB or less) to your report.
All reports received by the Wake Forest Anonymous Reporting Hotline are taken seriously. We will verify receipt of your report, respond to your questions, and appropriately investigate and respond to claims. Often, we will forward questions or concerns to other university offices for assistance in providing the right response. The more times, places, and names of witnesses provided in the report, the more complete the investigation. We ensure that any investigations are conducted fairly and appropriately.
About EthicsPoint
What is EthicsPoint?
EthicsPoint is a comprehensive and confidential reporting tool created by NAVEX Global to assist management and University stakeholders to work together in addressing fraud, abuse, and other misconduct in University operations.
Why do we need a system like EthicsPoint?
There are several reasons why we need a reporting tool:
- Through open channels of communication, you can participate in improving our University and help maintain an ethical environment.
- Having an anonymous way to receive reports helps us support SACS accreditation, regulatory compliance, financial controls, and governance best practices.
Our Board of Trustees has asked us to ensure we have a reporting line in place as a resource for our faculty and staff.
Reporting – General
May I report using either the Internet or the telephone?
Yes you may. By giving you choices, EthicsPoint helps ensure that individuals can file a report anonymously and in the manner most comfortable or convenient to them. To report via the toll free phone number call 1-877-880-7888. To make a report via the internet click on the appropriate link from the Wake Forest University Audit & Compliance web site or go directly to www.ethicspoint.com and follow the links under ”File a Report….”
What types of situations should I report?
The EthicsPoint system allows faculty and staff to report any violation of our stated Code of Conduct, or other concern you may have.
If I see a violation, shouldn’t I just report it to my manager, security, or human resources and let them deal with it?
When you observe some behavior that you believe violates our code of conduct, we expect you to report it. Ideally, 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 Global. We would rather you report anonymously than keep the information to yourself.
Why should I report what I know? What’s in it for me?
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.
Where do these reports go? Who can access them?
Reports are entered directly on the EthicsPoint secure server. NAVEX Global makes these reports available only to specific individuals within the University 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.
Reporting Security & Confidentiality
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 Global does not generate or maintain any internal connection logs with IP addresses, so no information linking your PC to EthicsPoint 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 EthicsPoint secure website. Many people choose this option, as NAVEX Global’s data shows that fewer than 12% of reports are generated during business hours.
Can I file a report from home and still remain anonymous?
anonymous. An Internet portal never identifies a visitor by screen name and the EthicsPoint system strips away Internet addresses so that anonymity is totally maintained.
I am concerned that the information I provide EthicsPoint will ultimately reveal my identity. How can you assure me that will not happen?
The EthicsPoint 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 office 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 EthicsPoint 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.
Tips & Best Practices
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 Global 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?
The EthicsPoint 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 investigator has further questions for me concerning my report?
When you file a report at the EthicsPoint 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 EthicsPoint system again either by Internet or telephone and access the original report to add more detail or answer questions posed by the reviewer. We strongly suggest that you return to the site in the time specified to answer follow-up questions. You and the investigator can enter 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 EthicsPoint 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.