2.60.070 Management responsibilities.
(a) Management is responsible for:
(1) Ensuring all employees under their supervision understand and comply with the provisions of this policy;
(2) Complying with the applicable fraud, waste, and abuse guidelines for specific investigations and handling of documented fraud, waste, and abuse allegations;
(3) Working in conjunction with human resources to ensure training on this policy; and
(4) Taking corrective or disciplinary action once the investigation is complete, and informing the investigator of the matter whether corrective action has been taken or not.
(b) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, employees should report any fraud, waste, or abuse to the Office.
(c)
(1) If the matter concerns the Office or the Inspector General, an employee shall report the alleged fraud, waste, or abuse to the Chair of the Commission and the Corporate Secretary.
(2) The Commission Chair, after consultation with the General Counsel’s Office, shall refer the report to:
(i) The Board of Ethics if the report is within the jurisdiction of the Board of Ethics under the Public Utilities Article, § 17-606(b)(2) or Title 19, Annotated Code of Maryland;
(ii) Another Maryland Inspector General or an equivalent Maryland office such as the State Office of Legislative Audits that has agreed to conduct the investigation on allegations of fraud, waste or abuse involving the Office or the Inspector General; or
(iii) To both if the report concerns both ethical matters and an allegation of fraud, waste, or abuse.
(d) The WSSC Police and Homeland Security Division police officers have the authority granted to them under the Public Utilities Article, § 28-201, Annotated Code of Maryland, and the powers of a law enforcement officer in the state.
(e) The Human Resources Office is responsible for providing management support and appropriate review for fraud, waste, and abuse investigations involving employee and labor relations, substance abuse, wage or hour issues, and personnel policy issues.
(f) The equal opportunities office is responsible for:
(1) Investigating violations of equal employment opportunity laws, workplace harassment, or retaliation; and
(2) Handling referrals from OIG concerning violations of equal employment opportunity laws, workplace harassment, or retaliation.
(g) The WSSC Safety Office will be responsible for assisting with investigations into employee allegations involving unsafe work practices, conditions, and concerns.
(h)
(1) Investigations concerning alleged violations of the WSSC Code of Ethics will be referred to the Board of Ethics.
(2) The Board of Ethics will have primary responsibility to investigate abuse allegations covered under WSSC 2.60.050 concerning the furthering of private interests of the employee, a family member, or a close personal or business associate. (Document dated July 1, 2020)