Complaints relating to any accounting, internal controls or auditing matters, including, without limitation, the following:

• Actual, alleged or suspected fraud or deliberate error in the preparation, evaluation, review or audit of any financial statement of the College;
• Actual, alleged or suspected fraud or deliberate error in the recording and maintaining of financial records of the College;
• Actual, alleged or suspected fraud or deliberate misapplication of generally accepted accounting principles;
• Actual, alleged or suspected deficiencies in or noncompliance with the College’s internal accounting controls;
• Actual, alleged or suspected misrepresentation of a fact or the making of a false statement to or by a senior officer, accountant or other employee regarding a matter contained in the financial records, financial reports or audit reports of the College;
• Actual, alleged or suspected deviation from full and fair reporting of the College’s financial condition.
• Actual, alleged or suspected retaliation of anyone who in good faith makes a complaint.
• Violations pertaining to applicable state and federal laws, rules and regulations, College Codes of Conduct and Ethics and any other code, policy, or procedures established by the College.

Certain categories of concerns or general complaint should NOT be reported through the whistleblower hotline, and it does not replace existing reporting methods on campus.  We encourage you to try to resolve problems and disputes through established channels when possible.  Please use the recommended procedures outlined by the College’s policies for the following types of issues:

• Emergencies– DO NOT report any emergencies via the whistleblower hotline.  In case of a true emergency:
  • Call 911
  • Campus Public Safety Emergency (201) 684-6666
• Discrimination and Harassment – View the procedures detailed in Discrimination, Harassment or Hostile Environment in the workplace or contact Nicole Morgan Agard, Esq.,  (201) 684-7503
• Collective Bargaining Unit Issues/Grievances:
  • AFT – Please contact Nicole Morgan Agard, Esq.,   (201) 684-7503
  • CWA and IFPTE – Please contact David Vernon (201) 684-7506
• Human Resources issues –  Please contact David Vernon (201) 684-7506

Reports made under this Policy must be submitted to the Director of Internal Audit.  All reports will be considered confident and privileged to the extent possible.

The reporter should provide sufficient, precise and relevant information such as to allow for a reasonable investigation to take place.

Anonymously

Please provide as much information as possible as to allow for a proper investigation.

Whistleblower Submission Form

Date of Submission *

Information (please be as detailed as possible to assist in our investigation)

Security Check

If you are human, leave this field blank.

The Conscientious Employee Protection Act, N.J.S.A 34:19-1 et. Seq. (“Whistleblower Act”)

1.  New Jersey law prohibits an employer from taking any retaliatory action against an employee because the employee does any of the following:
   • Discloses, or threatens to disclose, to a supervisor or to a public body an activity, policy or practice of the employer or another employer, with whom there is a business relationship, that the employee reasonably believes is in violation of a law, or a rule or regulation issued under the law, or, in the case of an employee who is a licensed or certified health care professional, reasonably believes constitutes improper quality of patient care;
   • Provides information to, or testifies before, any public body conducting an investigation, hearing or inquiry into any violation of law, or a rule or regulation issued under the law by the employer or another employer, with whom there is a business relationship, or, in the case of an employee who is a licensed or certified health care professional, provides information to, or testifies before, any public body conducting an investigation, hearing or inquiry into quality of patient care; or
   • Provides information involving deception of, or misrepresentation to, any shareholder, investor, client, patient, customer, employee, former employee, retiree or pensioner of the employer or any governmental entity.
   • Provides information regarding any perceived criminal or fraudulent activity, policy or practice of deception or misrepresentation which the employee reasonably believes may defraud any shareholder, investor, client, patient, customer, employee, former employee, retiree or pensioner of the employer or any governmental entity.
   • Objects to, or refuses to participate in, any activity, policy or practice which the employee reasonably believes:
     •  is in violation of a law, or a rule or regulation issued under the law or, if the employee is a licensed or certified health care professional, constitutes improper quality of patient care;
     • is fraudulent or criminal; or
     • is incompatible with a clear mandate of public policy concerning the public health, safety or welfare or protection of the environment. N.J.S.A. 34:19-3.

2. The protection against retaliation, when a disclosure is made to a public body, does not apply unless the employee has brought the activity, policy or practice to the attention of a supervisor of the employee by written notice and given the employer a reasonable opportunity to correct the activity, policy or practice. However, disclosure is not required where the employee reasonably believes that the activity, policy or practice is known to one or more supervisors of the employer or where the employee fears physical harm as a result of the disclosure, provided that the situation is emergency in nature.

The following contact person has been designated by Ramapo College to answer your questions or provide information regarding your rights and responsibilities under the Whistleblower Act (N.J.S.A. 34:19-4):

Patricia C. Chavez, Director of Internal Audit

505 Ramapo Valley Road

Mahwah, New Jersey 07430

Phone: (201) 684 -7622

email: whistleblower@ramapo.edu

This notice must be conspicuously displayed.

Once each year, employers must distribute notice of this law to their employees.  If you need this document in a language other than English or Spanish, please call (609) 292-7832.

La Ley de protección al empleado consciente

“Ley de protección del denunciante”

 Acciones de represalia del empleador; protección de las acciones del empleado

1.  La ley de New Jersey prohíbe que los empleadores tomen medidas de represalia contra todo empleado que haga lo siguiente:

• Divulgue o amenace con divulgar, ya sea a un supervisor o a una agencia pública toda actividad, directriz o norma del empleador o de cualquier otro empleador con el que exista una relación de negocios y que el empleado tiene motivos fundados para pensar que violan alguna ley, o en el caso de un trabajador licenciado o certificado de la salud y que tiene motivos fundados para pensar que se trata de una manera inadecuada de atención al paciente;
• Facilite información o preste testimonio ante cualquier agencia pública que conduzca una investigación, audiencia o indagación sobre la violación de alguna ley, regla o reglamento que el empleador o algún otro empleador con el que exista una relación de negocios; o en el caso de un trabajador licenciado o certificado de la salud que facilite información o preste testimonio ante cualquier agencia pública que conduzca una investigación, audiencia o indagación sobre la calidad de la atención al paciente; o
• Ofrece información concerniente al engaño o la tergiversación con accionistas, inversionistas, usuarios, pacientes, clientes, empleados, ex empleados, retirados o pensionados del empleador o de cualquier agencia gubernamental.
• Ofrece información con respecto a toda actividad que se pueda percibir como delictiva o fraudulenta, toda directiva o práctica engañosa o de tergiversación que el empleado tenga motivos fundados para pensar que pudieran estafar a accionistas, inversionistas, usuarios, pacientes, clientes, empleados, ex empleados, retirados o pensionados del empleador o de cualquier agencia gubernamental.
• Se opone o se niega a participar en alguna actividad, directriz o práctica que el empleado tiene motives fundados para pensar que:
  • viola alguna ley, o regla o reglamento que dicta la ley o en el caso de un empleado licenciado o certificado en cuidado de la salud que tiene motivos fundados para pensar que constituya atención inadecuada al paciente;
  • es fraudulenta o delictiva; o
  • es incompatible con algún mandato establecido por las directrices públicas relacionadas con la salud pública, la seguridad o el bienestar o la protección del medio ambiente. Artículo 34:19-3 de las Leyes comentadas de New Jersey de protección del empleado consciente (N.J.S.A., por sus siglasen inglés)

2. No se puede acoger a la protección contra la represalia, cuando se hace una divulgación a un organismo público, a no ser que el empleado le informe al empleador de tal actividad, política o norma a través de un aviso por escrito y le haya dado al empleador una oportunidad razonable para corregir tal actividad, política o norma. Sin embargo, no es necesaria la divulgación en los casos en que el empleado tenga indicios razonables para creer que un supervisor o más de un supervisor del empleador tienen conocimiento de tal actividad, política o norma o en los casos en los que el empleado teme que tal divulgación pueda traer como consecuencia daños físicos a su persona siempre y cuando la naturaleza de la situación sea la de una situación de emergencia.

Información del Contacto

La persona siguiente para ha sido designada a contestar sus preguntas o, proporcionar información adicional

relacionada con sus derechos y responsabilidades según lo indica esta ley (N.J.S.A. 34:19-4):

 Nombre:   Patricia C. Chavez

Dirección: 505 Ramapo Valley Road, Mahwah, NJ 07430

Número de teléfono: (201) 684-7622

E-mail: whistleblower@ramapo.edu

Facsímil: (201) 684-7960

 Este aviso se debe exponer a la vista de todos.

Una vez por año, los empleadores deben de distribuir un aviso de esta ley a sus empleados. Si necesita este documento en algún otro idioma que no sea inglés o español, sírvase llamar al (609) 292-7832.