Frequently Asked Questions

About the Altria Integrity HelpLine / WebLine

What is the Altria Integrity HelpLine / WebLine?

The Altria Integrity HelpLine / WebLine are 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week resources that are operated by an independent company, NAVEX, to help our companies respond to your concerns. If you are unsure where to go to ask questions, uncomfortable about using one of the other resources identified in its Code of Conduct, or wish to raise a concern anonymously, use the Integrity HelpLine or WebLine to report misconduct in the workplace that may violate our Code of Conduct, company policy or the law.

Why has Altria contracted with NAVEX for reporting your concerns?

NAVEX is an independent company selected by the Altria family of companies to provide secure, confidential telephone and web-based systems for use by the Altria family of companies’ employees who wish to report a concern regarding a potential violation of its Code of Conduct, company policy, or the law. NAVEX provides services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to all our companies, domestically and internationally. NAVEX's role is NOT to act or to address the concern. NAVEX only transmits the report to the company’s Compliance & Integrity department who will assign the appropriate personnel to investigate and follow up on the report.

Why do we need the Altria Integrity HelpLine / WebLine?

Our employees are our most important asset. By creating open channels of communication, we promote a positive work environment and maximize productivity. In the United States, publicly traded companies are required by law to have an anonymous reporting vehicle to address accounting and auditing fraud directly to the audit committee. An effective reporting system supports our other efforts to foster a culture of integrity and ethical decision-making.

Reporting – General

How do I make a report?

You may use the Altria Integrity HelpLine / WebLine to report your concern either by calling the 800 number specified for your location or using the online form. You may also report your concern directly to your supervisor or manager, your Company Compliance Officer, the Chief Compliance Officer, Human Resources, Compliance & Integrity, or the Law Department.

What types of situations should I report?

The Altria Integrity HelpLine / WebLine is designed for employees to report allegations and concerns about potential violations of its Code of Conduct, its policies and related procedures and the law, subject to certain restrictions in some countries. Altria guarantees that all reports will be taken seriously and handled confidentially to the extent practically possible and permitted by law. Altria prohibits any form of retaliation or threat of retaliation. You will not suffer any adverse consequences for your reporting any concern in good faith.

If I see a violation, shouldn't I just report it to my manager, security, or human resources and let them handle it?

You are required to report any behavior you believe violates our Code of Conduct, policies or the law. You may bring these concerns to your supervisor, manager, your Compliance Officer, the Chief Compliance Officer, Human Resources, Compliance and Integrity, the Law Department or other members of the management team. We recognize there may be circumstances when you are not comfortable reporting the concern to management. You can use the Altria Integrity HelpLine / WebLine, to report your concern confidentially, even anonymously (where permitted by local laws).

Why should I report what I know? What’s in it for me?

We all have an obligation to speak up. It is the right thing to do and allows our companies to quickly address potential issues. We all have the right to work in a positive environment. With that right comes the responsibility of acting in an ethical manner and letting the appropriate people know if someone is not acting appropriately. We must ask ourselves:

Is it legal?
Is it the right thing to do?
Does it follow company policy?
How would it look to others, both inside and outside the company?

By working together, we can maintain a healthy and productive environment. Maintaining a strong culture of compliance and integrity is essential to our company’s success.

Does management really want me to report?

We certainly do. In fact, we need you to report. You know what is going on in our company - both good and bad. Please do not assume management is aware of the activity or situation. You may have initial knowledge of an activity or situation that may be cause for concern. It is critical that we identify the issue early and respond to it promptly and effectively. Big problems can be prevented if someone raises the concern early, so it can be addressed. Also, reporting a potential compliance concern may help identify issues that can improve corporate culture and performance.

Where do these reports go? Who can access them?

Reports are entered directly on the NAVEX secure server hosting the Altria Integrity HelpLine / WebLine to prevent any possible breach in security. The Altria Integrity HelpLine / WebLine makes these reports available only to a very few specific individuals within Altria. Members of Altria’s Compliance & Integrity department are charged with evaluating the report, based on the type of violation and location of the incident and assigning an investigator to each report. These reports are kept in the Compliance & Integrity department and are kept confidential to the extent the law allows.

What if my boss or other managers are involved in a violation? Won’t they get the report and start a cover-up?

No, the Altria Integrity HelpLine / WebLine and NAVEX system report distribution protocols are designed so that implicated parties are not notified about or granted access to reports in which they are named.

What if I remember something about the incident after I file the report?

When you file a report, you will receive a unique report key and be asked to enter a password. With the report key and your password, you can return to the system at any time, by phone or Internet, and access the original report and add more details.

What if you have questions for me concerning my report?

The NAVEX system enables the Altria investigator assigned to your report to post questions for you, even if you report anonymously. Follow-up questions are usually posted within five days so please be sure and check back on a regular basis.

Are these follow-ups on reports as secure as the first one?

Yes. All correspondence is held in the same confidence as the initial report. If you filed an anonymous report, you may remain anonymous, if you so choose and where permitted by local law.

Reporting Security & Confidentiality

It is my understanding that any report I send from a company computer generates a server log that shows every website with which my PC connects. Won’t this log identify me as the report originator?

The Altria Integrity HelpLine / WebLine does not generate or maintain any internal connection logs with IP addresses, so no information linking your PC to the Altria Integrity HelpLine / WebLine is available. In fact, NAVEX (which is the third-party service provider managing the Altria HelpLine / WebLine) is contractually committed not to pursue a reporter's identity. A report from home, a neighbor’s computer, or any internet portal will remain secure and anonymous, where permitted by local laws. An internet portal never identifies a visitor by screen name and the NAVEX system strips away identifying information, such as an IP address, so that anonymity is maintained.

Can I file a report from home and remain anonymous, if I so choose?

A report from home, a neighbor’s computer, or any internet portal will remain secure and anonymous. An internet portal never identifies a visitor by screen name and the NAVEX system strips away internet addresses so that anonymity is totally maintained.

Is the telephone toll-free HelpLine confidential too?

Yes, you will be asked to provide the same information you would provide in a WebLine report. A NAVEX representative will type your responses directly into the NAVEX secure environment. Altria Integrity HelpLine-based reports have the same security and confidentiality measures applied to them during delivery as Altria Integrity WebLine-based reports. You may report anonymously, provided your country location permits anonymous reporting.

Tips & Best Practices

I am aware of some individuals acting unethically, but it doesn't affect me. Why should I bother reporting it?

Altria promotes ethical behavior. We all have a duty to speak up. All unethical conduct, at any level, ultimately hurts the Altria family of companies. You must consider what happened in recent corporate scandals to see the disastrous effects that a seemingly harmless lapse in ethics can have on an otherwise healthy company. So, if you know of any potential violations of our Code of Conduct, company policy or the law, speak up and report it.

I am not sure if what I have observed or heard is a violation of company policy, the code of conduct, the law, or involves misconduct, but it just does not look right to me. What should I do?

Report the concern. We all have an obligation to speak up. It is the right thing to do and allows our companies to quickly address potential issues. You have many avenues to report. You can report to your supervisor, manager, your Human Resources representative, Compliance and Integrity, Law, other appropriate department head, company Compliance Officer, Chief Compliance Officer or the Altria Integrity HelpLine / WebLine. Our third party, NAVEX, can help you prepare and file your report so it can be properly understood. We'd rather you report a situation that turns out to be harmless than let possible misconduct go unchecked just because you weren’t sure.

What if I lose my Report Key or forget the Password I created?

To ensure that security and confidentiality is maintained, if you lose your report key or password, you will need to file a new report. Mention in the new report that it is related to a report or question you previously submitted.

Can I still file a report if I don’t have access to the Internet?

You can file an Altria Integrity WebLine report from any computer that can access the Internet. You can file from home. You can file from public locations as well. Many public locations, including the public library, have internet computers. If you don’t have access to or are uncomfortable using a computer, you can call the Altria Integrity HelpLine toll-free, which is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Are there other reporting considerations I should be aware of?

Altria prohibits retaliation against any individual reporting a potential violation of our Code of Conduct, company policy or the law that is made in good faith or cooperating with an investigation. Report retaliation to your supervisor, manager, your company Compliance Officer, the Chief Compliance Officer, Human Resources, Compliance and Integrity, the Law Department, other members of your management team or the Altria Integrity HelpLine / WebLine. Any substantiated instance of retaliation will result in discipline. Also, knowingly providing inaccurate or misleading information will not be tolerated and may result in disciplinary action.