Back to: Policies and programs

Westpac has a number of processes in place for dealing with workplace grievances. This includes a grievance handling process which aims to resolve issues locally between the people concerned and their managers, but provides for escalation of the grievance to senior managers where the matter has not been resolved to the satisfaction of the aggrieved person.

Employees are also actively encouraged to bring any problems to the attention of management or the Board, including activities or behaviour which may not be in accord with the Code of Conduct, Code of Accounting Practice and Financial reporting, the Insider Trading Policy, other Westpac policies, or other regulatory requirements or laws.

Concerns can be raised directly with senior management through the concern raising process, including the CEO and CFO's intranet site or via the CEO's telephone hotline. Concerns can also be raised anonymously through the concern reporting system, and are directed to the Chief Compliance Officer.

The concern reporting system consists of an intranet based service (Concern Online), which allows anonymous two-way communication between the investigator and the concern raiser, and a telephone service (Concern Hotline), which connects the concern raiser to a trained staff member at an independent organisation.

This system protects the identity of individuals who report any apparent or actual violations of our internal policies and procedures, external laws or regulations.

The process for dealing with issues of harassment and discrimination is documented in our policy on harassment and discrimination, however the concern reporting system may also be used for dealing with these issues.

The concern reporting system is consistent with the Australian standard AS 8004 (Whistleblower protection programs) released in 2003.