Pioneer Foods aims to conduct its business in a responsible and sustainable manner.
Our core business principles include transparency and integrity which require us to identify and correct practices that are contrary to our company's values in the interests of our employees, suppliers and business partners. With this in mind, the Board has introduced an initiative Tip-offs Anonymous - independent of Pioneer Foods, to allow the reporting of business practices which are impacting or have the potential to impact the organisation's operations and reputation in the market.
Tip-offs Anonymous is an independently operated and managed hotline and disclosure service involving the professional services firm of Deloitte. The service makes available a selection of communication channels for the reporting of unethical and inappropriate practice in our organisation.
Although it is important to first use existing processes and communication channels within the company, Tip-offs Anonymous provides our employees with an alternative, confidential and anonymous facility to report wrongdoing.
I would like to encourage all our stakeholders to embrace our business principles and make use of Tip-offs Anonymous, where appropriate.
Mr Andre Hanekom (MD - Pioneer Foods)
What is Tip-offs Anonymous?
Tip-offs Anonymous is the leading provider of independent and anonymous disclosure services and hotlines in Southern Africa.
It is dedicated to promoting sound corporate governance, protecting directors' reputations, as well as exposing and deterring fraudulent and unethical business practices in both public and private sector organisations, such as Pioneer Foods.
Tip-offs Anonymous:
- Operates nationally 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year
- Provides live answering in a number of South African and foreign languages
- Will respond in a way to gain as much company specific information as possible
- Will not reveal your identity to the company
- Will respect the confidentiality of the information you provide to it
- Provides a number of communication means to ensure every ones needs are met
- Is totally independent of Pioneer management
- Is available at no cost to you.
What should I report?
Any conduct by anyone that is impacting the company, its employees and its reputation, including:
- Abuse or theft of company resources, including company time
- Bribery, corruption or fraud
- Highly sensitive and serious issues, such as acts of discrimination, sexual harassment and emotional blackmail
- Damage to the environment
- Poor health and safety practices
- Conflicts of interest
- Improper accounting and financial recording of transactions
- Not obeying company rules and procedures
- Collusion with suppliers and business partners
Remember that Tip-offs Anonymous is not a complaints line and company reporting policies and procedures should first be considered before making contact with Tip-offs Anonymous. Routine human resource issues should be dealt with established communication, disciplinary and grievance procedures.
How does Tip-offs Anonymous work?
Anyone can contact Tip-offs Anonymous
Trained operators respond to telephone calls in a number of languages
Alternatively, you can use e-mail, FreePost or FreeFax
Tip-offs Anonymous will protect the identity of the caller and you don't have to give your name.
You have the choice to request the level of anonymity you desire:
- Remain anonymous to both Tip-offs Anonymous and Pioneer Foods
- Remain anonymous to Pioneer Foods but not to Tip-offs Anonymous
- Be made known to both Pioneer Foods and Tip-offs Anonymous.
The tip-offs report sent to the company will indicate the level of anonymity selected by you.
The information provided to Pioneer will be sanitised, meaning:
Your identity or any distinguishing details (language spoken, position, gender etc) will be removed from the tip-off report
The information you provide will be assessed for urgency and importance
Tip-off reports will be sent to senior management of Pioneer
Remember - our focus is on the information you may have - not your identity.
Ask yourself?
Before reporting information, ask yourself the following:
- Is it legal?
- Is it line with the organisation's policies and procedures
- Does it feel right?
- On what grounds could I justify my actions if called to account?
- How would it affect my colleagues and the bigger team?
- Would I be embarrassed or suffer guilt if others knew I did not report it?
- Will it reflect negatively on the company, its management, its employees and its reputation?
Checklist before you call
It is important to obtain as much relevant information as possible about the issue being reported, such as:
- Operation and department involved/implicated
- Where did the incident takes place
- Names of people involved
- Details of any witnesses to the incident being reported
- Date and time
- Details of any proof which may exist and where it could be located
- If money involved - amount
- Regularity of actions or once off incident
Recommendations on the best way to follow up your information or approach an investigation
Pioneer Foods contact details
Telephone: 0800 005 909
This number is unique to Pioneer
You will not pay for the call when using a Telkom landline
Normal cell phone charges apply when using your cell phone
A call from a work extension can be tracked by the company's telephone management system
E-mail: pioneerfoods@tip-offs.com
Your identity and source of your e-mail is removed. Content of e-mails are transcribed and sanitised in the normal way and not forwarded. E-mails to this address can be tracked by the company
You may wish to send the e-mail from a home computer.
Post: FreePost DN 298 Umhlanga Rocks 4320
Only above address required on a sealed envelope
No postage stamp required
Send whatever information you have
Fax: 0800 00 77 88
For the sending of supporting documents as evidence
The content of your fax will be transcribed and sanitised
The fax or no part of it will be forwarded to the company
You will not pay for the fax