The Coles Whistleblower Hotline is an independent and confidential service available to receive information relating to improper conduct, unlawful or unethical behaviour and supports Coles’ values and Code of Conduct.

It can also be used as an independent and confidential service available to receive information relating to sexual harassment, sex discrimination, harassment because of a person’s sex or other sex-based misconduct.

Any breaches of the Code of Conduct, related policies, and issues that may adversely affect Coles. This may include any criminal offence, breach of legal obligation, unsafe behaviour, harassment (including sexual harassment, or any other sex-based misconduct).

You can make a report via this website (see the ‘home’ tab) or otherwise by calling 1300 304 550, emailing [email protected] or by mail.

Stopline is an Australian company which specialises in providing integrity/whistleblowing services. It has been operating for over a decade and assists listed and private companies, local, state and Commonwealth public sector bodies and not-for-profit organisations. Further details are available at www.stopline.com.au

No. Your call to Stopline can, if you wish, be anonymous and the staff of Stopline will not ask for any personal details. You may volunteer the information anonymously to Stopline if you desire or you can be overt. If you do not wish to remain anonymous and provide your consent, this information will be provided to the relevant team at Coles to manage. If you choose to remain anonymous, Stopline will issue a confidential reference and password should you wish to seek the status of your disclosure at some later date.

Coles is committed to the protection of genuine whistleblowers against action taken in reprisal for the making of protected disclosures. Maintaining confidentiality is a crucial component of this protection. All disclosures will be treated with a high level of confidentiality. Coles has appointed Stopline to enhance confidentiality and anonymity within Coles with respect to whistleblower procedures.

Stopline enables employees, contractors and other 3rd parties to report in good faith, suspected misconduct via telephone, email, internet or mail, to an independent organisation with trained staff who will receive your concerns confidentially (anonymously if you wish) and provide the confidential information to the relevant contact at Coles. The program then necessitates procedural requirements dealing with and finalising the outcome of the disclosure.

Protected Disclosure Officers within Coles are responsible for ensuring that all serious complaints are handled appropriately. Where the matter involves a protected disclosure, a protected disclosure officer is the contact point for both Stopline and Coles.

You can contact the Stopline when you have knowledge of any fraudulent, corrupt, unlawful or unethical conduct by an employee and/or contractor, and if you have knowledge of or experienced any sexual harassment or other sex-based misconduct.

You can telephone the Stopline on 1300 30 45 50 (in Australia) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A Stopline investigator will answer your call during business hours (0800 – 1800 Mon – Fri AEST). Any messages left with our overnight team will be responded to within one working day. You can also send your disclosure via the internet (this website), email or mail.

The strength of Stopline is that all allegations will be professionally managed by trained Stopline staff. The experience of Stopline is that vexatious calls occur very infrequently. Stopline focuses on the message, not the messenger. Coles may decline to investigate the matter if satisfied that the disclosure is trivial, frivolous or vexatious.

Yes. You will be kept advised about the status of the report, decisions made regarding how the matter is to be handled, timeframes that apply and the result of any investigation and action taken. If you choose to remain anonymous, you will be issued with a confidential reference and password and must initiate contact through one of the methods above to receive feedback.

Where a person who makes a disclosure is implicated in the misconduct, Coles will use all reasonable efforts to protect the individual from reprisals; however the act of reporting improper conduct may not shield the person from the reasonable consequences flowing from any involvement in serious misconduct.

Full details are available on mycoles.