Safe Disclosure Policy
Approving Authority: President and Chief Executive Officer
Administrative Responsibility: Director, Policy Research & Advocacy
Original Approval Date: November 6th, 2024
Date of Most Recent Review/Revision:
Related Policies, Procedures, and Documents:
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Executive Limitation #2b - Treatment of Staff
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Employee Standards and Performance Policy
1. Purpose
1.1. This policy outlines the process for employees to provide good faith disclosures about wrongdoing by Students’ Union employees or volunteers without retaliation or reprisal.
2. Definitions
2.1. Employee: A paid worker of the Students’ Union.
2.2. Good Faith Disclosure: Any disclosure made based on the reasonable belief of the authenticity and accuracy of the wrongdoing, and free from malicious or frivolous intent.
2.3. Reprisal: Any detrimental action or threat of action directed at an employee for making a good faith disclosure, supporting a disclosure, participating in a disclosure investigation, or declining to participate in wrongdoing.
2.4. Volunteer: A Wilfrid Laurier University undergraduate student who voluntarily undertakes a service for the Students’ Union.
2.5. Wrongdoing: Any act or conduct in contravention of the Students’ Union Employee Standards and Performance Policy or other related policies, procedures, or legal standards.
3. Jurisdiction/Scope
3.1. This policy applies to all Students’ Union employees.
4. Policy
4.1. Anyone who has information or reasonable grounds to believe that a Students’ Union employee or volunteer has been engaged in wrongdoing is able to make a good faith disclosure through the Students’ Union Reporting Form.
4.1.1. If a good faith disclosure involves Human Resources of Vice-President: Volunteer Operations, the disclosure can be made directly to the President and Chief Executive Officer or Executive Director.
4.1.2. If a supervisor receives a good faith disclosure directly from an employee, they must submit the Students’ Union Reporting Form.
4.2. The Students’ Union shall take all necessary and appropriate action to carefully and fairly investigate and respond to disclosures of wrongdoing.
4.2.1. If an investigation conforms wrongdoing, the supervisor shall proceed according to the Employee Standards and Performance Policy and all other applicable policies or regulations.
4.3. The Students’ Union shall take all reasonable efforts to keep the details of a good faith disclosure confidential and protect the identity of the employee who disclosed.
4.4. All employees involved in an allegation of wrongdoing are to be treated fairly and impartially.
4.5. Retaliation or reprisal in response to a good faith allegation is prohibited.
4.6. Employees who make an allegation of wrongdoing that is false, frivolous, vexatious, or made in bad faith will be subject to employee conduction procedures outlined in the Employee Standards and Performance Policy.