Whistleblowing Policy

Exceptional service requires the highest ethical standards

Exceptional client service requires our unwavering commitment to integrity, responsibility and accountability. BDO Australia is dedicated to upholding the highest standards of ethics through compliance with prevailing laws and regulations including our internal policies. All employees and partners are required to uphold the BDO core values and conduct themselves in accordance with the highest degree of ethical and professional conduct. Our National Risk Management Committee (with representation across the business) promotes and fosters a culture where employees are obligated to consider and assess the risks associated with their daily activities.

BDO Whistleblowing Policy

If you become aware of misconduct or improper behaviour within any BDO Australia member firm and wish to seek further guidance in order to report such behaviour, you can access the BDO Australia Whistleblowing Policy.

Parties eligible for making a disclosure:

This policy is available to all ‘eligible persons’. An eligible person includes:

  • All BDO staff members (including partners, officers, temporary or full-time employees, secondees) and their dependents and relatives (including dependents of a staff member’s spouse)
  • Any former BDO staff member and their dependents and relatives (including dependents of a former staff member’s spouse)
  • An individual or BDO staff member who provides services or goods to BDO, their employees and their relatives or dependents (including dependants of such individual’s spouse).  For example, this may include BDO’s (e.g., contractors, suppliers, consultants and business partners)
  • An employee of an entity, where that employee makes a disclosure to BDO as the appointed auditor of that entity, or a member of the audit engagement team.

What can be reported?

An eligible person will qualify for protection under this policy where their disclosure is made to an eligible recipient and concerns, or the eligible person has reasonable grounds to suspect the information concerns:

  • BDO or a BDO staff member contravening the law
  • BDO or a BDO staff member engaging in conduct that represents danger to the public or the financial system
  • misconduct in relation to BDO or BDO staff member; or
  • an improper state of affairs or circumstances in relation to BDO or a BDO staff member, (referred to as ‘reportable conduct’).

The reportable conduct may be by act or omission and includes, but is not limited to: 

  • Fraudulent activity
  • Money laundering or misappropriation of funds
  • Corruption
  • Illegal actions
  • Dishonest or unethical behaviour
  • The creation or facilitation of an unsafe environment
  • Breaches of company policy
  • Instances of discrimination
  • Harassment and/or bullying
  • Detrimental to BDO and could cause financial or non-financial loss
  • Conduct that is generally detrimental to an eligible person, or a person who is believed or suspected to be an eligible person, regardless of whether that conduct has been engaged in or threatened
  • Modern slavery practices as set out in the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth).

How do I report?

STOPline, our independent, confidential whistleblower hotline, is available (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) for the reporting of behaviour and conduct that is in violation of legal or professional standards or otherwise in conflict with the BDO Australia policies.

Report the matter to STOPline through any of the following means:

  1. Website (http://bdo.stoplinereport.com)
  2. Email (bdo@stopline.com.au)
  3. Telephone: 1300 30 45 50
  4. Mail (c/o The Stopline, PO Box 403, Diamond Creek Victoria, Australia 3089)

The disclosure will be subject to the assessment and investigation process set out in the BDO Whistleblowing Policy. Where disclosures are made in accordance with the policy, confidentiality will be safeguarded (where requested) and the necessary protections set out in the BDO Australia Whistleblowing Policy will apply.

Alternatively, you may make an eligible disclosure to any of the listed eligible recipients within the BDO Australia Whistleblowing Policy. This includes any BDO auditor, or any member of the BDO audit team conducting an audit, on your relevant body corporate or a related body corporate.