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Statement of Ethical Conduct. Our Commitment To Integrity And Ethical Conduct. Statement of Ethical Conduct . Driven by the University’s mission of teaching, research, and patient care Sets expectation of highest standards of ethical conduct
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Statement of Ethical Conduct Our Commitment To Integrity And Ethical Conduct
Statement of Ethical Conduct • Driven by the University’s mission of teaching, research, and patient care • Sets expectation of highest standards of ethical conduct • Commits to upholding the reputation of the University • Encourages compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and University policies • Does not condone retaliation for any good faith report of improper activity
Statement of Ethical Conduct • Be honest, ethical, truthful • Obey the law • Follow University policies and procedures 3
What Is Honesty? • Honesty is • Fairness • Forthrightness • Straightforward conduct • A refusal to lie, steal or deceive • Honesty is taking responsibility for one’s own actions
What Is Fraud? • Fraud is an intentional act calculated to deceive by • Affirmative act • Concealment • Omission • …that results in damage to an individual or organization and violates a legal or equitable duty owed
Impact Of Dishonesty And Fraud • Fraud and dishonesty cause • The destruction of institutional and personal reputation, loss of respect, and loss of public esteem • Criminal and civil penalties, fines, suspension, terminations and the destruction of careers • U.S. organizations to lose an estimated five (5%) percent of their annual revenues
Identifying And Reporting Fraud • The five most reported schemes of fraud are: • BILLING SCHEMES – employee causes the business to issue payment for fictitious goods or services or payment for services that were personal to the employee • PAYROLL SCHEMES – employee caused the business to issue payment for compensation for false claims of work • EXPENSE REIMUBURSEMENT SCHEMES – employee makes a claim for reimbursement for a fictitious, or inflated, or personal expense • CHECK TAMPERING – employee steals funds by forging or altering a business check • CASH REGISTER DISBURSEMENT SCHEMES – employee makes false entries on a cash register to conceal removal of currency
Who Reports Fraud, And How? • Fraud is discovered 46% of the time due to a tip provided by an individual • Of the fraud tips provided, 59.6% come from company employees • 35% from customers or vendors • 5% by internal or external audit and by chance • Organizations with anonymous reporting systems cut their fraud losses by 50%
What Is Ethical Conduct? • Conduct conforming to the law and regulations, professional standards, and the policies of the University • A Statement of Ethical Conduct expresses a set of values and defines the purpose of an individual or organization • A Statement of Ethical Conduct says: “This is who we are and this is what we stand for”
What Is Compliance? • A willingness to follow a prescribed course of action • Acting according to certain accepted standards • Observance of official requirements
Compliance Hotline • A 24/7 confidential channel for employees to report or seek guidance on incidents of financial impropriety • Enhances the set of existing services and channels that support integrity and compliance • EVP for Research • Billing Compliance • Human Resources • Internal Audit • Ombuds Office 12
Why Is This Important? • We want to give employees every possible means to report fraud, abuse, and conflicts of interest -- and the understanding of why it is important to do so • Less than one-half of all organizations encourage discussion of moral dilemmas and criticism of unethical conduct
Columbia’s Compliance Hotline • Provided and administered by a third party -- Global Compliance • 24-hour telephone and web-based channels • (866) 627-3768 • https://www.submitreport.com/columbiauniversity.jsp • Confidential intake and report handling • Option to report anonymously
Focus Of The Compliance Hotline • University-wide scope • Fraud and financial improprieties • Research misconduct • Conflicts of interest • Breaches of confidentiality or destruction of information • Discrimination or harassment
Options -- How, Where to Report • If possible, reach out to your supervisor first • As an alternative, identify the proper channel for seeking guidance, reporting, or resolution • Compliance Hotline