Confidential workplace reporting system

The Senior Management Board and the President are constantly seeking to improve the operation of the Institut Pasteur, and place great emphasis on ensuring that the work is performed in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.

The French Act of December 9, 2016 on transparency, the fight against corruption and the modernization of the economy, known as the "Sapin 2" Law, obliges companies with at least 50 employees to implement an appropriate procedure enabling members of staff or external and occasional employees to report incidents in the workplace.

The Institut Pasteur is therefore introducing a confidential workplace reporting system as a means of detecting, reporting and dealing with any serious or non-compliant risk situations.

The new process, which was submitted to staff representative bodies for consultation, comes into force today. It is available for all Institut Pasteur staff and for external and occasional employees.

Whistleblower status is given to any individual who reveals or reports, in good faith and in an objective manner, any situation covered by the scope of the Law and of which they have personally become aware. The types of situations that may be reported are listed in the procedure: they include a crime or offense; a serious breach of the law, a regulation or an international commitment; or a grave threat or serious damage to the general interest. Any sanctions, discrimination or unfavorable action against a whistleblower who has acted in accordance with the legal framework are prohibited.

However, unlawful use of the system, slanderous accusations and false allegations are prohibited and may be subject to sanctions.

The workplace reporting system is designed to complement other reporting channels at the Institut Pasteur, especially the system for reporting sensitive situations, introduced recently by the Human Resources Department as part of efforts to prevent psychosocial risks.

To ensure effective implementation of the new procedure, the management team has decided to appoint a “Référent Externe”, to whom any incidents are to be reported, confidentially and securely, via a dedicated platform. If the Référent Externe considers a report to be admissible, it will be processed under the authority of a “Correspondant Interne”.

• Detailed information about the confidential workplace reporting process is available via this link, where you will find the procedure in French and English, the decision appointing the Référent Externe and the Correspondant Interne, and the reporting platform.

• For any questions about the procedure or how to use the platform, please contact the Legal Affairs Department at the following address: contactDJ@pasteur.fr.

Be assured that the implementation of this procedure reflects the ongoing drive for improvement pursued by the Senior Management Board and the President. The aim is to develop an environment of trust for all staff working on a daily basis to fulfill the Institut Pasteur's missions.