AREF Whistleblower AREF Whistleblower TrainingTraining

AREF EmployeesAREF Employees

January 2009January 2009

AREF Whistleblowers PolicyAREF Whistleblowers Policy

AREF encourages employees to report AREF encourages employees to report suspected or actual illegal or improper suspected or actual illegal or improper activity.activity.

AREF does not condone any activity that is AREF does not condone any activity that is illegal or improper, whether by a Board illegal or improper, whether by a Board Member, the Executive Director, a Principal Member, the Executive Director, a Principal Investigator, a supervisor or employee.Investigator, a supervisor or employee.

Illegal or Improper Illegal or Improper Conduct Includes:Conduct Includes:

FraudFraud TheftTheft Safety violationsSafety violations Improper use of authorityImproper use of authority Gross waste of fundsGross waste of funds HarassmentHarassment RetaliationRetaliation

Guidelines for Reporting Guidelines for Reporting Improper ActivityImproper Activity

If you believe in good faith that an illegal or improper If you believe in good faith that an illegal or improper action or event has occurred, report the incident to action or event has occurred, report the incident to AREF Human Resources, Executive Director or AREF Human Resources, Executive Director or President of the Board of Directors.President of the Board of Directors.

Complaints, reports or inquiries may be made on a Complaints, reports or inquiries may be made on a confidential or anonymous basis by calling AREF’s confidential or anonymous basis by calling AREF’s Confidential Hotline.Confidential Hotline.

Employees should describe specific facts demonstrating Employees should describe specific facts demonstrating the basis for complaint, report or inquiry.the basis for complaint, report or inquiry.

Alternatively, employees may also call the VA’s Confidential Alternatively, employees may also call the VA’s Confidential Hotline (Compliance Helpline Anonymous) to report Hotline (Compliance Helpline Anonymous) to report improper activity.improper activity.

Guidelines for Reporting Guidelines for Reporting Improper Activity Improper Activity (cont’d)(cont’d)

AREF will strive to keep a whistleblower’s identity AREF will strive to keep a whistleblower’s identity confidential, although this cannot be guaranteed, confidential, although this cannot be guaranteed, and will seek to protect the employee from and will seek to protect the employee from retaliation.retaliation.

Any employee who feels that adverse action has Any employee who feels that adverse action has been taken toward him or her due to a report of been taken toward him or her due to a report of illegal or improper activity should report it as soon illegal or improper activity should report it as soon as possible in writing to the Executive Director or as possible in writing to the Executive Director or President of the Board.President of the Board.

The Whistleblowers Policy may be located in its fullest extent via The Whistleblowers Policy may be located in its fullest extent via www.atlaref.org > Human Resources > Employees > Employee > Human Resources > Employees > Employee Handbook.Handbook.