*This is something I've mentioned in another thread, but think it's important enough to have it's own thread. If it gets stickied, it would also keep from having a bunch of similar posts asking about it or it's supposed anonymity.*
UPS touts 'THE UPS Helpline' as being a single entity/operation, but it
is not. The way it's setup makes it easy for them to claim that it is 'anonymous', within reasonable doubt standards, but history shows that it
is not.
The Network, Inc. is the company that runs the web-based helplines for most of corporate America. UPS's is tnwgrc.com/UPS, AT&T's is tnwgrc.com/att, etc. Navex Global is The Network's parent company. I don't recommend using 'the helpline'. It's designed specifically to prevent the development of a written record. When policies or suspect activities are indefensible, wrongdoing can best be obscured by keeping the evidence oral. This can be enforced by employer fiat, peer pressure, over scheduling (to ensure that there is not time to construct a written record), OR by deceiving all your employees and encouraging them to use their software that just logs the complaint and spits out a risk-level assessment. In litigation, if the employer can prove that they 'didn't know' about your submitted complaints then the case is dismissed. So, I'm guessing they use a single login account on the rare occasion that they even look at the logs and then never have to have any ties to a specific HR person as having been aware. When you use the on-line Helpline, it's a form that you fill in and it gives you some number 'to check the status of your complaint later', but there is nowhere on the website to do that. So, then you can call 'the helpline' to check on it...but you'll be sad to discover that the 'phone division' is an entirely different company than the on-line company and that your number is useless because they have no idea what the other company is doing. Except the other company isn't really a company so much as just an on-line logbook software.
It might have changed, but last I knew UPS's computers/network accessibility is so limited that employees couldn't even access the helpline website with them. So, we are basically forced to call and therefore have the complaints be oral. This is not by accident. One of the reasons it's in their best interest to have complaints be restricted to oral, is because of the conflict of interest with the helpline employees. Whenever you go to any reporting authority to file a charge, you'll explain the situation and they will summarize what you said and type it in the system. Speaking from experience, even 'neutral' agencies can leave out very critical words or phrase things in a way that can hurt your case, if not be completely detrimental to it. The helpline people are being fed by the client...so, the chances of them doing that are probably close to certain. Since you didn't write it, you can't really fight it. unless recorded.
It's also important that you know, that once you have used their 'anonymous' reporting system, you have also effectively labelled yourself a future litigation risk and they will mitigate that before you find out what I'm telling you now. Use the standard grievance system, or at the very least, keep your own records/recordings of anything you submit using this system.
This is an example of the type of software used for on-line helplines:
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