By Communications Staff

A new, anonymous third-party reporting service is now available to all Queen’s faculty, staff, students and administration to report matters of professional or financial misconduct. The external phone service, called ConfidenceLine, provides additional support under the university’s Safe Disclosure Policy, which was adopted in early 2011. ConfidenceLine provides the Queen’s community with an anonymous alternative to confidentially reporting concerns directly to the university’s Safe Disclosure Officer.

“At Queen’s, we share a commitment to the highest standards of honesty, integrity and accountability,” says University Secretary Lon Knox. “This confidential reporting service will provide the community with another tool for the good-faith reporting of alleged improper acts. It will help ensure that Queen’s maintains high ethical standards, while providing a safe and respectful environment in which to work and learn.”

ConfidenceLine is meant to provide an alternative reporting mechanism in cases when employees and students feel unable to use regular internal channels – supervisors, administrators, and Human Resources – to report misconduct. The reports handled through ConfidenceLine will be passed anonymously to the Queen’s Safe Disclosure Officer, Harry Smith.

“This new service provides an alternative that gives Queen’s community members more options for dealing with disputes or unethical and improper behaviour,” says Mr. Smith, who serves as the Safe Disclosure Officer established by the Safe Disclosure Policy.

Mr. Smith is also the co-ordinator, dispute resolution mechanisms for the university. Members of the Queen’s community are invited to report concerns about misconduct confidentially to the Safe Disclosure Officer directly at 613-533-2030 or by email.

“The university still encourages employees and students to use the normal channels of reporting. However, ConfidenceLine is also available when there is a sense that these normal routes are not viable,” adds Mr. Smith.

ConfidenceLine is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week, both by phone at 1-800-661-9675 or online.

More information about the service is available on the University Secretariat’s webpage.

Queen’s is conducting a review of its Safe Disclosure Policy during 2013-14.