Whistleblower Policy

Purpose

Hudor is committed to maintaining a work environment that is free from harassment, retaliation and discrimination, and where employees feel safe to raise questions and issues at any time without fear of retaliation. The company will strive to protect the rights of any individual who makes such a report to the company in good faith, and strictly prohibits any form of retaliatory action or behaviour against employees who raise issues or exercise workplace rights protected by law.

Aims and Objectives

The company will treat all work-related grievances in a confidential and sensitive manner, and protect the rights of the person making the disclosure, including where the disclosure is found to be incorrect; however, this undertaking will not extend to persons making a report that the person knows is untrue. The company will ensure that the identity of the person making the disclosure will be kept confidential so long as it does not hinder or frustrate any investigation.

Responsibilities

Management of the company will implement systems to allow employees to raise concerns and to disclose information that the individual believes shows evidence of wrongdoing, including (but not limited to):

  • illegal conduct such as theft, dealing in or use if illicit drugs, violence (or threats of violence), and criminal damage to property
  • fraud, money laundering or misappropriation of funds
  • offering or accepting a bribe
  • financial irregularities
  • failure to comply with, or breach of, legal or regulatory requirements
  • engaging (or threatening to engage) in detrimental conduct against a person who has made a disclosure or is believed or suspected to have made, or is planning to, make a disclosure.

Individual employees may raise personal work-related grievances are excluded from this policy and will be treated under the grievance policy, including matters such as:

  • interpersonal conflicts between the discloser and another employee
  • decision that does not involve a breach of workplace laws
  • a decision about the engagement, transfer or promotion of the discloser
  • a decision about the terms and conditions of engagement of the discloser, or
  • a decision to suspend or terminate the engagement of, or otherwise to discipline, the discloser.

Employees should exercise due care to ensure the accuracy of any information provided, and that any report made is done so in good faith, and is based on credible and accurate grounds.

A mere allegation with no supporting information is unlikely to be considered as having reasonable grounds However, a Discloser does not need to prove their allegations. A Discloser will still qualify for protection under this Policy even if their disclosure turns out to be incorrect.

False Reports: The reporting of false information is taken very seriously by Hudor Cleaning Services. Individuals who deliberately or knowingly report false information will not be able to access the protections available under this Policy for Disclosers, or any legal protections, and individuals who are employees, officers or contractors of the company may be subject to disciplinary action or termination of engagement.

Breach of this policy may be regarded as misconduct, leading to disciplinary action which may result in termination of employment or engagement. An individual may also be exposed to criminal or civil liability for a breach of relevant legislation.

For and on behalf of Hudor Cleaning Services

Mohan Perera
General Manager
(Last reviewed 09/2021)