4. Legal protections for disclosers
Marketplacer recognises that “whistleblowing” can be a very stressful and difficult thing to do. Provided that you have reasonable grounds for your concern and have not yourself engaged in serious misconduct or illegal conduct, you will not be subject to disciplinary or other sanctions by Marketplacer in relation to any matters that you report.
In particular, you will be protected from:
(a) any civil, criminal or administrative liability for making the report of a disclosable matter, although this protection does not grant you immunity for any misconduct you engaged in which is revealed in a disclosure;
(b) Marketplacer exercising any contractual right, or seeking any contractual remedy against you on the basis that you have made the report; or
(c) being subjected to any form of detriment or reprisal for making the report.
Identity protection (confidentiality)
Marketplacer is legally obliged to protect the confidentiality of your identity. Subject to limited exceptions, it is illegal for a person to identify an eligible whistleblower or disclose information that is likely to lead to the identification of the eligible whistleblower. A contravention of this requirement may lead to disciplinary action, including termination of employment, as well as imprisonment and fines.
Your identity or information likely to reveal your identity will only be disclosed if:
(a) you consent to it,
(b) it is reported to a relevant regulator or otherwise authorised by law; or
(c) it is raised with a lawyer for the purpose of obtaining legal advice or representation about the whistleblower protection laws.
Marketplacer can disclose the information contained in a disclosure without your consent if:
(a) the information does not include your identity;
(b) Marketplacer has taken all reasonable steps to reduce the risk that you will be identified as a result of the disclosure; and
(c) it is reasonably necessary for investigating the issues raised in the disclosure.
It is nevertheless possible that someone might deduce your identity without there having been a breach of confidentiality. For example:
(a) if the nature of your report points to one particular individual having made it;
(b) if you have previously mentioned to others that you had considered making a disclosure;
(c) you are one of a small number of people with access to the information; or
(d) the information disclosed was disclosed to you privately and in confidence.
The legal protections described in this Policy apply whether you report a disclosable matter directly to an eligible recipient anonymously or choose to provide your identity. You can choose to remain fully anonymous while making a disclosure, over the course of an investigation and after the investigation is finalised, by submitting an anonymous report via post (see Section 3). In this case, we suggest you provide a mechanism for us to ask questions (such as an anonymized email address). You can refuse to answer any questions that you feel could reveal your identity at any time. We may not be able to undertake an investigation in circumstances where a disclosure is made anonymously and you have not provided a means for us to contact you.
You can also request that you remain partially anonymous such that your identity is only revealed to the eligible recipient. In that case, the eligible recipient must implement procedures to protect your identity and maintain confidentiality from disclosure to other parties, unless such disclosure is authorised by you. For example, you may prefer to use a pseudonym or request that the eligible recipient redact any information in a report that could identify you to others.
If you have any concerns about the handling of your confidential information, you can lodge a complaint with Marketplacer’s General Counsel at legal@marketplacer.com.3
Protection of records
Information regarding a disclosure will be securely stored and only disclosed to the relevant people as required or allowed by this Policy and the law. Any inappropriate disclosure of information may lead to disciplinary action, including termination of employment, as well as imprisonment and fines. Each person involved in handling and investigating a disclosure will be reminded of their confidentiality obligations, including that an unauthorised disclosure of a discloser’s identity may be a criminal offence.
Protection from detrimental conduct
You are protected from detrimental conduct or the threat of detrimental conduct against you as a result of making a disclosure in accordance with this Policy. Examples of detrimental conduct which are prohibited include dismissal, change to employment or terms of employment to an employee’s disadvantage, harassment or intimidation, or damage to property or reputation.
Provided your disclosure is not anonymous, an assessment for the risk of detriment against you will be conducted by the Whistleblower Investigation Officer in your country as soon as possible after receiving the disclosure. This is to proactively manage and prevent the risk of detriment to you. The practical protections made available will depend on the circumstances and may include monitoring and managing the behaviour of other employees, allowing you to perform your duties from another location or relocating you or other employees to a different team or location, or other protections.
If you feel you have suffered from detrimental conduct, you should inform any member of the WPP (refer Section 5). If detriment has already occurred, Marketplacer may consider providing relief, such as allowing you to take extended leave or developing an alternate career development plan, including new training and career opportunities. Disciplinary action may also be taken against the offender(s).
If you are an eligible discloser and you consider that you have suffered detrimental conduct which is prohibited by the law, then you should seek independent legal advice as you may be entitled to seek compensation and other remedies through the courts.
Support can also be provided through an Employee Assistance Program made available through contacting the VP of People.