Posted on behalf of Charles V. Shank, Laboratory Director and Patrick V. Reed, University Auditor.

The University of California, of which the Laboratory is a proud and integral part, is committed to fostering an environment in which employees and others with concerns about possible improprieties can come forward with confidence that their concerns will receive appropriate attention and without fear of retaliation.

With this communication we want to reaffirm the interest of both the University of California Office of the President and Berkeley Laboratory in receiving information about any suspected improprieties and inform you of avenues available to make a report.

Since August 1997, the Laboratory has engaged an independent service called EthicsLine to provide callers with a means of providing anonymous information about suspected improprieties. In the next few weeks this anonymous hotline service will be enhanced utilizing case numbers so that 1) anonymous callers have a mechanism to make inquiries about the status of their complaints and receive feedback and 2) investigators have a mechanism for letting anonymous callers know when additional information is critical to determining the facts of the matter at hand, without compromising the anonymity of the caller. The independent service provider will report callers' concerns to both UC, through the University Auditor's Office, and appropriate Laboratory officials. Independent, anonymous hotlines with similar capabilities have been established at our sister Laboratories.