HSBC 2015 Annual Report Download - page 181

HSBC HOLDINGS PLC
179
Strategic Report Financial Review Corporate Governance Financial Statements Shareholder Information
The global businesses use a broad range of measures
appropriate to their specific customer base and markets
to assess ongoing effectiveness of the management of
conduct, and enable action to be taken where potential
conduct issues arise. The measures include information
relating to sales quality, customer experience and market
behaviour.
The CVC provides Board oversight of the Group’s multiple
efforts to raise standards of conduct and embed the
behavioural values the Group stands for.
For further information on the CVC, see page 272.
Further information on our conduct is provided in the Strategic
Report on page 40 and for conduct-related costs relating to
significant items, see page 97.
Whistleblowing
We actively encourage our employees to raise concerns
and escalate issues so they can be dealt with effectively. In
most cases, individuals will raise their concerns with line
management or Global Human Resources. However, where
an individual believes that their normal reporting channels
are unavailable or inappropriate, it is important that they
have alternative channels available to them to raise concerns
confidentially without fear of personal repercussions. This
is referred to as ‘whistleblowing’.
To make whistleblowing simpler for our employees, we
launched HSBC Confidential across the Group in August
2015 to provide a global platform offering telephone,
email, web and mail options for whistleblowers to bring
together all our existing whistleblowing channels. We
also maintain an external email address for complaints
regarding accounting and internal financial controls or
auditing matters ([email protected]).
Matters raised are independently investigated by
appropriate subject matter teams and details of
investigations and outcomes including remedial action
taken are reported to the CVC. Matters raised in respect
of audit, accounting and internal control over financial
reporting are reported to the Group Audit Committee.