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Our approach to sustainability: Our performance in 2009

 
 

2009 in summary

  • Approved new terms of reference and name for the Sustainability Committee
  • Designed and tested a system to manage Business Principles risk in our supply chain
  • Expanded the Business Principles online training programme
  • Launched the Business Principles and associated training at QGC, the Australian business acquired by BG Group in late 2008

Speak Up – reporting breaches of the Business Principles

BG Group’s Speak Up Policy includes a duty on all employees to report any suspected breaches of the Business Principles or any other forms of misconduct. Concerns should be raised with the employee’s line manager in the first instance or, if the employee feels he or she cannot raise an issue through the normal management route, via Speak Up.

The Policy also enables third parties (including partners, contractors, suppliers and members of the public) to raise concerns.

Employees and third parties can contact an independent external provider confidentially and, if they prefer, anonymously, to raise their concern. This Speak Up facility is available online and over the telephone and is provided in multiple languages.

In 2009, BG Group approved the establishment of an Ethical Conduct Compliance Unit, which will manage the BG Group Speak Up Policy from 2010.

During 2009, there were 125 cases reported via the Speak Up Policy, compared with 70 cases reported in the previous year. 2009 was the first full year of the new Speak Up Policy, and BG Group believes the increase in reported cases year-on-year is the result of:

  • the extension of the new Policy’s scope to cover breaches of our Business Principles;
  • the establishment of a new duty on employees to report their concerns;
  • awareness-raising initiatives among employees and contractors, such as the inclusion of Speak Up in induction training across the Group, highlighting the service on our intranet and placing posters in offices Group-wide; and
  • the introduction of a broader range of reporting routes (including an increase in the number of languages offered) compared with the previous whistleblowing policy.

Reported cases break down as follows:

  • 44% related to general workplace concerns (including allegations of harassment in the workplace, discrimination, unfair hiring practices and unfair treatment);
  • 32% related to reported malpractice (including allegations of breaches of the Group’s Ethical Conduct Policy and Standards, including corruption);
  • 18% related to fraud (including allegations of theft or misuse of funds); and
  • 6% related to HSSE and other concerns.

Every report was fully investigated, and all investigations were monitored by the BG Group General Counsel. As a result of these investigations, disciplinary action was taken (ranging from a formal warning up to dismissal or contract termination) against 15 employees and contractors during 2009. In addition, 38 cases resulted in other actions such as recommendations for changes in procedures. A number of cases reported in 2009 were still under investigation as at March 2010.

The Business Principles Investigations Committee (Speak Up Committee), a sub-group of the Governance Committee, has oversight of the concerns raised via Speak Up. The Speak Up Committee meets regularly to review progress of investigations and ensure that the Group takes the appropriate action to address any issues identified. Feedback from these investigations is provided to the relevant line manager, technical or professional function or business unit for action as appropriate, while taking measures to preserve the confidentiality of the individual who first raised the concern. The General Counsel provides quarterly statistical reports to the Governance Committee as well as the Group Executive Committee. The Sustainability and Audit Committees are also provided with an annual statistical overview.