Winrock will not tolerate retaliation against anyone who, in good faith, reports a concern or participates in an investigation, even if the allegation ultimately is not substantiated. Anyone, regardless of position or tenure, found to have engaged in retaliatory conduct against someone who has raised an ethics or compliance concern will be subject to disciplinary action, and possibly termination. If you feel you have been subjected to retaliation, you should access the Code of Conduct Hotline online or by telephone for assistance or directly contact the Chief Risk and Compliance Officer.
Winrock encourages managers and employees to self-report violations and, depending on the specific circumstances, may treat self-reporting as a mitigating factor when assessing any disciplinary measures.
In addition to Winrock’s prohibition on retaliation, U.S. federal law prohibits any form of retaliation against any employee as a reprisal for disclosing information that the employee reasonably believes is evidence of gross mismanagement of a federal funding; a gross waste of federal funds; an abuse of authority relating to a federal grant, cooperative agreement, or contract; a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety; or a violation of law, rule, or regulation related to a federal grant, cooperative agreement, or contract. Retaliation is prohibited even if undertaken at the request of an executive branch government official, unless the request takes the form of a non-discretionary directive that is within the authority of the executive branch government official making the request. If an employee believes that he/she has been retaliated against for a good faith disclosure of the type of conduct listed above, he/she may submit a complaint to the Inspector General of the appropriate U.S. federal agency. The employee’s rights and remedies may be found at 48 CFR 3.900.
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