New York § 715-B - 715-BWhistleblower policy

§ 715-B. 715-BWhistleblower policy

§ 715-b. Whistleblower policy. (a) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, the board of every corporation that has twenty or more employees and in the prior fiscal year had annual revenue in excess of one million dollars shall adopt, and oversee the implementation of, and compliance with, a whistleblower policy to protect from retaliation persons who report suspected improper conduct. Such policy shall provide that no director, officer, key person, employee or volunteer of a corporation who in good faith reports any action or suspected action taken by or within the corporation that is illegal, fraudulent or in violation of any adopted policy of the corporation shall suffer intimidation, harassment, discrimination or other retaliation or, in the case of employees, adverse employment consequence. (b) The whistleblower policy shall include the following provisions: (1) Procedures for the reporting of violations or suspected violations of laws or corporate policies, including procedures for preserving the confidentiality of reported information; (2) A requirement that an employee, officer or director of the corporation be designated to administer the whistleblower policy and to report to the board or an authorized committee thereof, except that directors who are employees may not participate in any board or committee deliberations or voting relating to administration of the whistleblower policy; (3) A requirement that the person who is the subject of a whistleblower complaint not be present at or participate in board or committee deliberations or vote on the matter relating to such complaint, provided that nothing in this subparagraph shall prohibit the board or committee from requesting that the person who is subject to the complaint present information as background or answer questions at a committee or board meeting prior to the commencement of deliberations or voting relating thereto; and (4) A requirement that a copy of the policy be distributed to all directors, officers, key persons, employees and to volunteers who provide substantial services to the corporation. For purposes of this subdivision, posting the policy on the corporation's website or at the corporation's offices in a conspicuous location accessible to employees and volunteers are among the methods a corporation may use to satisfy the distribution requirement. (c) A corporation that has adopted and possesses a whistleblower policy pursuant to federal, state or local laws that is substantially consistent with the provisions of paragraph (b) of this section shall be deemed in compliance with provisions of this section. In addition, any corporation that is a state authority or local authority as defined in section two of the public authorities law, and that has complied substantially with section twenty-eight hundred twenty-four of such law and is subject to the provisions of section twenty-eight hundred fifty-seven of such law, shall be deemed in compliance with the provisions of this section. (d) Nothing in this section shall be interpreted to relieve any corporation from any additional requirements in relation to internal compliance, retaliation, or document retention required by any other law or rule.