Common Questions

At Lilly, our employees are our most important asset. By creating open channels of communication, we promote a positive work environment and maximize productivity. An effective reporting system augments our other efforts to foster a culture of integrity and ethical decision-making.

Concerns about an immediate threat of physical harm or damage to property should NOT be reported to the Lilly Ethics and Compliance Hotline. If you require emergency assistance, please contact your local emergency services.

First, consider whether you are comfortable raising your concern directly to your manager, your manager's supervisor or to someone else in your department. Individuals within the company have indicated that, while sometimes challenging, directly addressing concerns with those involved can be very effective. Reports may be provided to management, Ethics and Compliance, Human Resources, or other parties as outlined in the Speaking Up: No Retaliation Procedure on LillyNow and the Code of Business Conduct – The Red Book via LillyNow and Lilly.com.

If you are uncomfortable reporting your concern directly, if you do not know the correct person to contact, or if you wish to remain anonymous, please proceed with filing a report through the Lilly Ethics and Compliance Hotline.

Although reports can be made anonymously through the Ethics and Compliance Hotline, Lilly prefers that you identify yourself so that the company can obtain all relevant facts and properly investigate allegations. If you choose to identify yourself when you file a report, Lilly will make every reasonable effort to keep your name in confidence while your concern is being reviewed. Many case evaluations can be resolved more quickly and effectively when the person who makes the report is identified because it gives Lilly the opportunity to follow-up directly with the individual.

You have the option to remain anonymous if you so choose (where legally permissible), regardless of whether you choose to report by telephone or online. After submitting your report, you will be provided with a report key and asked to create a password. Retain these to follow up on the report you submitted This also allows Lilly to ask follow-up questions while protecting your anonymity.

Lilly's Ethics and Compliance Hotline is operated by an independent third party who receives the reports and provides them to Lilly's Global Ethics and Compliance Department for investigation and/or other action. The third party does not provide any information to Lilly about the identity of anonymous reporters. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can take care not to include information in the body of your report that could reveal your identity by accident. For example, "From my cube next to Jan Smith…" or "In my 33 years.…"

The independent third party that operates the Ethics and Compliance Hotline does not trace phone calls or use caller identification. In addition, it does not generate or maintain internal connection logs containing Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, so no information linking your computer to the Hotline is available.

Once your report is complete, you will be provided with a report key and asked to create a password. You can call the Ethics and Compliance Hotline or visit the Hotline website after you make your initial report to monitor progress on your report and learn whether any additional information is needed from you to address your concern. If you would like to receive an email when follow-up responses are posted, you may provide a personal email address. Your email will not be included with your report but will be held by our independent third party, subject to its Terms and Conditions. Providing an email address isn't required to make a report but enables our independent third party to notify you by email of updates or follow-ups to your report.

Because of the high level of confidentiality that is maintained for reports, if you lose your report key number or password, you will be required to file a new report. If that happens, please mention in your new report that this matter is related to a previously submitted report.

The independent third party who operates the Ethics and Compliance Hotline notifies Lilly's Global Ethics and Compliance Department when it receives a concern. Lilly begins an appropriate review, using internal and external resources as appropriate. The information in your report is shared only with appropriate team members, and the concern is reviewed promptly and as discreetly as possible. You may monitor the status of the review by clicking on the "Follow up on a Report" button on the website.

Reports are entered directly to a secure server to prevent any possible breach in security. These reports are available only to specific individuals within Lilly who are responsible for evaluating the report and assigning it for investigation or follow up.

Lilly does not tolerate any form of retaliation against individuals who report any suspected improper, unethical or illegal conduct. Concerns raised in good faith will not expose you to any sanctions, regardless of whether the underlying facts are substantiated or result in any corrective action. If you believe you have been subjected to retaliation of any kind, please report that to the investigator handling the concern or via the Ethics and Compliance Hotline so that the company can investigate and take appropriate action.

Yes. In fact, we need you to raise a concern. You know what is going on in our company - both good and bad. You may have initial knowledge of an activity that may be cause for concern. Your reporting can minimize the potential negative impact on the company and our people. Also, offering positive input may help identify issues that can improve corporate culture and performance. In addition, all Lilly employees have an obligation to speak up when they observe or suspect something that could harm Lilly or the people we serve.