Pearson Ethics is an internet and telephone-based tool where employees can confidentially report concerns and ask questions about actual or suspected misconduct at Pearson. Employees have the option of reporting anonymously if they wish.

PearsonEthics is managed by Ethico, an independent third party. It can be accessed through www.PearsonEthics.com or via the ‘SpeakUp’ app found on The Hub.

Pearson is committed to encouraging employees and others to “speak up” by raising concerns confidentially when people are doing or saying things that are inconsistent with Pearson’s values, policies, the Code of Conduct or the law. We recognize it takes a lot of courage to speak up when someone is acting unethically or illegally, and we are very grateful to those people who take that step.  PearsonEthics is one way to encourage people to raise these concerns so we can appropriately review and identify areas of improvement and strengthen our company’s culture.

Anyone can report their concerns through PearsonEthics including external third party partners that are working with Pearson.

You can make a report at www.pearsonethics.com, or by phone. If you wish to report by telephone, please refer to the list of telephone numbers on the right-hand corner of the www.pearsonethics.com website.

Yes. While you can certainly raise a concern anonymously, it is most important for you to interact with your investigator (confidentially, described below) so that they have the facts necessary to conduct a thorough and detailed investigation.

You can raise concerns about potential violations of the company’s global policies, our Code of Conduct, the law or regulations. Some examples are concerns regarding financial wrongdoing, harassment, discrimination or other issues in the workplace, data privacy and information security, third party vendor management issues, misuse of company assets, fraud, human rights, unfair business practices, conflicts of interest, and more.

Whether you report using your name or anonymously, please provide as many details as you can. Names, dates, locations, and anything you think would help the investigator.

Yes. You can attach a statement, upload documents, photos, etc. as attachments. If you report by telephone, you can attach anything once you have received your case number and password.

Once you complete the report, you will create a password. Please save or write down password and the case number, which will identify your report. This will allow you to access your report at any time, review status updates and provide any additional information.

No. Even if you ask to be provided updates, Pearson cannot trace a report. All reports come through our third-party, independent vendor, Ethico. Ethico does not collect computer IP addresses, does not use caller ID, and does not record the calls. Again, it is very important that you keep your password and case number, as that is the only method for you to receive updates after submitting your report.

Reports are seen by specific individuals within the global compliance and global employee relations functions who are responsible for reviewing reports and investigation. Everyone who sees your report has had training in investigations and will handle all reports with discretion, sensitivity and confidentiality

Once the report is submitted, write down your case number and password so that you can access the report. This is particularly important in an anonymous report, particularly as it is a way for the investigator to request further information if needed.

All efforts are made to ensure confidentiality of the identity of the reporter by investigators. Information and investigation details are shared on a “need to know” basis and kept confidential. We will ask you to help protect the confidentiality and integrity of the investigation by not discussing your report with others.

No. You cannot be retaliated against for making a good faith report, regardless of how you make a report. That is a violation of our standards and Pearson has a specific policy (Raising Concerns and Anti-Retaliation Policy) that prohibits retaliation. If you feel you’ve been mistreated because you raised a concern, please report that immediately to the Ethics and Compliance Office at ethicsandcompliance@pearson.com or through PearsonEthics at www.pearsonethics.com.

Yes, PearsonEthics can receive reports made via the web in multiple languages, and our vendor has translation support in for telephone reports. You can find the local telephone number on PearsonEthics.com, and you can speak to the hotline operator in your preferred local language.

Pearson takes all reports and the confidentiality of those reports very seriously. In many cases, there are people other than the reporter who are interviewed and asked to share information. There may also be reasons for keeping the disposition of the issue confidential. In other words, there may have been disciplinary actions which will not be shared with the reporter or anyone else.