DirectAccess® - Tips/Whistleblower Hotline

Establishing a whistleblower hotline, (also known as an ethics hotline or tips hotline) to allow employees to anonymously communicate fraudulent or other inappropriate activity without fear of retaliation can contribute directly to your bottom line and improve morale. Use of a third-party professional to operate the whistleblower hotline avoids the time, processes and costs associated with setting up your own system. Employees are much more likely to use a third-party hotline because of the comfort of confidentiality.

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 stated that in order for companies to continue being listed on the various exchanges (as per the SEC), they must establish a way for boards of directors to receive, retain and treat complaints regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters. This process must be secure and allow for anonymity.

eni offers DirectAccess®, a confidential, anonymous, and secure third-party service that your employees can use to report any kind of inappropriate/illegal behavior:

Employee theft
Unethical conduct
Corporate misconduct
Inappropriate accounting activity

DirectAccess is designed to:

Increase the likelihood that those conducting themselves illegally or inappropriately will be caught
Decrease the likelihood that individuals will act inappropriately in the first place
Save the company a tremendous amount of money by preventing theft and the lawsuits that may result from employee misconduct

Setting up a hotline is easy and requires just a small investment. It can be operational within 24 hours. Strong backup plans are in place to ensure continuity.