What is the Boise Cascade CARE Line?
Our Boise Cascade CARE Line is an ethics and compliance reporting service that permits anyone—employees, customers, vendors, agents, suppliers or members of the general public—to ask questions, report concerns, or follow up on matters on which they have already reported. It is a risk-free way for employees to report unethical or illegal activity any time of day or night.
Who operates the Boise Cascade CARE Line?
CARE Line is operated by EthicsPoint, an independent third-party contractor. Using a third party is intended to give CARE Line users an added level of comfort and security that reports will remain confidential.
Why do we have the Boise Cascade CARE Line?
At Boise Cascade, we expect all employees, in all positions, to work, make decisions, and otherwise live by our Code of Ethics. It’s how we protect our reputation and our business relationships.
Our Code of Ethics outlines the values – integrity, safety, respect and excellence – that are core to who we are and what we do. They define our culture and our beliefs, and set forth expectations for how we conduct our work. Every employee, manager and officer at Boise Cascade is expected to live up to these standards.
If you believe someone has violated our standards, please report it promptly so that we can investigate and correct any problems, if necessary. This hotline is also an optional service for employees and third parties to ask questions about issues related to our Code of Ethics.
While most employee questions and concerns can be easily and quickly resolved by discussing them with your supervisor or manager, EthicsPoint provides an additional way to get help if you are uncomfortable asking questions or expressing concerns about these topics to management. It is not intended to replace conversations between employees and their managers, but rather to provide an additional resource to employees.
What kinds of things should be reported?
Anything that violates our Code of Ethics, the law, or threatens our ability to have a safe, secure, respectful and ethical workplace should be reported. Some examples might be:
Even if you observed or heard something that seems questionable to you but you are uncertain about it, it’s best to submit a report. We’d rather you report something that turns out to be harmless than to have a situation that doesn’t get addressed.
Why should I report what I know?
We believe in cultivating a climate of mutual respect teamwork, and the continuous improvement of people, processes and the quality of products we deliver. Your voice is so important to our company. We rely on you to help us by speaking up whenever any situation threatens our values, our safety and our reputation. When you do, you provide us with the information necessary to remedy situations.
How do I use the Boise Cascade CARE Line?
CARE Line has two methods of taking a report. The first is by toll-free telephone number, which is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year. When you call, a professionally trained intake specialist will guide you through a series of questions designed to identify the relevant details of your report or question.
If you wish to give your name and contact information, the intake specialist will note that information as well. You may choose to remain anonymous and not reveal your identity. EthicsPoint will make no effort to trace the call or take steps to learn your identity if you choose to remain anonymous. If you choose to identify yourself when you contact our CARE Line, Boise Cascade will make every reasonable effort to hold your name in confidence during the investigation or follow up. At the conclusion of the call, the intake specialist will summarize the information you have submitted and make any changes necessary to ensure that you are satisfied with the accuracy of your report or inquiry.
The second option is to submit a report online through a 24/7 web intake portal system. This intake portal is available anywhere that you have access to the Internet. The intake portal asks you for the same types of relevant details about your question or concern as the telephone-based system. Again, you may choose to remain anonymous, and EthicsPoint will make no attempt to track your web address or otherwise identify you.
Can I get in trouble for using the Boise Cascade CARE Line?
ABSOLUTELY NOT. The CARE Line is provided for your use and protection. Boise Cascade strictly forbids retaliation of any kind against those who have chosen to use this compliance hotline to make good faith reports about ethics concerns.
What if this is an emergency?
Concerns about an immediate threat of physical harm or damage to property should not be reported to the CARE Line. If you require emergency assistance, you should immediately contact 911 or your local emergency services.
What happens when I file a report?
Whether made by telephone or by the web, all intake reports are reviewed promptly by a professionally trained EthicsPoint intake specialist. The reports are then sent to the appropriate people within Boise Cascade so that they begin to conduct a prompt and thorough investigation.
Boise Cascade’s Legal Department serves as the overall Administrator of our Code of Ethics (though it works closely with Finance, Human Resources, Internal Audit, and Security). The Legal Department General Counsel serves as Boise Cascade’s Compliance Officer, responsible for managing the program according to our Compliance Program’s Charter.
Those responsible for following up on your matter are professionals who are trained to handle the issue with the greatest possible discretion. All reports are entered into a comprehensive database for record-keeping and case management purposes. If you have documents, recordings, photos, or video, you may also send these to EthicsPoint, and they will become part of the report case file.
Can I enter a partial report and return to complete it later?
No, because the EthicsPoint web intake portal will “time out” if you remain inactive for a period of several minutes. You should choose a time and place where you can use the system to complete your report in one sitting.
What happens when I ask a question?
When you file an enquiry—that is, ask a question about a policy or procedure—your matter will be directed to the most appropriate resource at Boise Cascade.
Is the Boise Cascade CARE Line secure?
Yes, reports are entered directly on the EthicsPoint secure server to prevent any possible breach in security. Only a very select number of Boise Cascade personnel have access to these reports. The goal of the CARE Line is to facilitate the free flow of information by providing a safe and secure way for employees and third parties to express their questions and concerns.
May I remain anonymous?
You may choose to remain anonymous. Although it may be easier in many cases to resolve your issue by having you identify yourself, you are not required to do so. If you choose to remain anonymous, no effort will be made by either EthicsPoint or Boise Cascade to identify you.
If I remain anonymous, how will I receive information on the status of my case?
Should you choose to make a report, you will be given a report key and password. Make sure to record these, and keep them in a safe place. You can use your report key and password to re-contact EthicsPoint to check on the status of your matter, provide more information, or answer follow-up questions from those who are investigating the matter.
If you would like to receive an email of updates, responses, or follow-ups to your report, you may elect to provide a personal email address. Your email will not be included with your report to your organization, but will be held by NAVEX. Providing an email address isn’t required to make a report, but enables NAVEX to notify you by email of updates or follow-ups to your report.
If I remain anonymous, how can investigators contact me for follow up?
When you are given your report key and password, you will be able to follow up with EthicsPoint either by telephone or through the web. If an investigator wishes to contact you regarding your matter, the investigator can leave you a message or ask you a question. For example, if you have filed an anonymous report about improper expense reporting in your department, but have forgotten to name the department, the investigator may leave you a message asking you for more information to help them conduct their investigation.
If you would like to receive an email when your organization posts follow-up responses to you, you may elect to provide a personal email address, which will enable NAVEX to notify you by email of follow-ups to your report.
What if the violation involves my supervisor or other managers?
Creating a report through the CARE Line allows for this kind of situation to be investigated confidentially. People who have been named as a participant in the violation are not notified or granted access to reports that include them in it.