May 4, 1998

Explaining UC's Whistleblower Policy

By Barbara McKenna

When employees witness improper activity taking place on the job it can create a dilemma--with whom should the problem be discussed, what might the repercussions be if they air their concerns? The UC Whistleblower Policy was developed to answer such questions and to protect those who need to report misconduct.

While the complete policy can be viewed at the Human Resources Web site, the basics are these:

• What should be reported?

  Misconduct is identified as activity by a university department or employee in the performance of official duties that violates state or federal laws or regulations, is economically wasteful, or involves gross misconduct, incompetence, or inefficiency.

• What to do?

  Any of the above activities can be reported to the UCSC Internal Audit Office at (408) 459-3205. Details on this and other avenues for reporting can be found at the HR Web site (see above).

• Protection against retaliation

  If employees feel they are experiencing retaliation for reporting inappropriate activities, they may make use of several complaint procedures that are in place to investigate alleged retaliatory behavior. Procedures vary depending on personnel program or bargaining unit and status as staff or faculty. For those who cannot file under a formal grievance procedure, complaints may be filed with the campus's retaliation complaint officer, Richard Wasserstrom, who can be reached at 459-2683. Details on procedures are also available at the HR Web site (above), at McHenry Library, or through the Labor Relations Office, 459-2017.

For detailed information on any of the above, visit the Human Resources Web site or call the Labor Relations Office at (408) 459-2017.

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