Reporting concerns
HP maintains a transparent, open-door work environment so employees can raise ethics and compliance issues without fear of retaliation.
Employees can seek guidance on ethics and compliance issues from several internal resources: our SBC; the accompanying quick reference guide and training module; our corporate policy directory; and the ethics and compliance website.
We offer several channels for raising concerns about potential misconduct. We encourage employees to follow our Open Door Policy and talk first to their manager or the next level of management, if issues arise. Alternatively, employees can submit concerns to internal ethics and compliance experts or their regional or business ethics and compliance liaisons.
HP's ethics and compliance office provides formal, confidential communication channels for employees and third parties to report potential violations of law, company policy or the SBC. These include a confidential, round-the-clock, toll-free helpline that operates globally and can handle calls in numerous languages. This line is also available to third parties via our company website and partner and supplier portals. Reporting can be anonymous, if preferred. (See sidebar.)
HP promptly investigates and responds to alleged violations. The person submitting a concern will generally receive a response within two business days. Investigation teams may be local, regional or corporate, depending on the allegation. The teams may also include members of the human resources, legal, IT security, privacy, global security and internal audit functions, depending on the expertise needed. The legal department oversees all escalated, corporate-led investigations. The details and results of investigations are treated as confidential to the extent reasonably practical.
In 2009, we received approximately 900 allegations through the formal reporting mechanisms managed by the Global Ethics Team or other compliance reporting channels. This compares with approximately 1,000 in 2008. The table shows the topics to which these allegations related. All were investigated, and we addressed those where we found substance. As a result, we took corrective action with approximately 350 employees, compared with approximately 475 in 2008.
Breakdown of items reported to the Global SBC team or other compliance functions, 2007–2009
| 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human resources | 37% | 31% | 34% |
| Misuse of assets | 20% | 15% | 20% |
| Fraud | 12% | 16% | 15% |
| Channel | 9% | 12% | 4% |
| Conflicts of interest | 7% | 9% | 6% |
| Confidentiality | 4% | 3% | 6% |
| Customer | 1% | 1% | 2% |
| Reporting | 1% | 2% | 4% |
| Competition | 0% | 1% | 1% |
| Other | 9% | 10% | 8% |
How to report a concern
If you want to report an ethics concern, please contact us:
| E-mail: | corporate.compliance@hp.com |
| Phone: |
From anywhere in the world, call the GuideLine, 24 hours a day. Translation is available and callers can remain anonymous, except where anonymous reporting is prohibited by local law. From the U.S. and Canada: 800-424-2965 Outside the U.S. and Canada:
|
| Mail: |
HP Ethics and Compliance Office 5400 Legacy Drive Plano, TX 75024 |
