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Corporate Compliance

Reporting Mechanisms

Employee access to management and information is important to TECO Energy and the Corporate Compliance Department. Therefore, in an effort to enhance the value of the Plan, the Company provides numerous avenues of assistance regarding it. TECO Energy has established several reporting systems to allow employees and other individuals to make ethics and/or compliance inquiries or reports and remain anonymous, if so desired.

As a matter of practice and policy, all information and/or messages received through any of the following reporting mechanisms will remain in strictest confidence.

  • A HotLine (1-800-272-3170 or extension 32777) has been established in the office of the Corporate Compliance Officer, allowing all employees in every operating company to make inquiries on ethical or other matters and to report violations. This HotLine is also available to customers, shareholders and the general public. The HotLine is monitored by the Compliance Office staff and is subdivided for reporting purposes into six subject areas:

  • Environmental and permitting issues.
  • Improper use of company equipment and/or information.
  • Safety and alcohol and drug usage issues.
  • Procurement issues.
  • Human resource issues.
  • Miscellaneous issues.

Callers to the HotLine have the option to remain anonymous when making reports if they so desire. All questions and incident reports are responded to promptly and confidentially.

  • The On-Line Reporting mechanism provides easier and more versatile access for employees, both at work and from home, in making inquiries and submitting reports to the Corporate Compliance Officer anonymously. This form works like an e-mail: fill out the appropriate areas of the form and click "Send" at the bottom of the form. The sender's name and email address remain anonymous as part of this transmission.

The Inquiry/Reporting form automatically generates a report number. This report number should be maintained in the reporting individual's private records as it can be used in the future to check the status of an inquiry or complaint by clicking on the box entitled "Inquiry Report Status." In addition to being able to check the status [ "investigation underway; decision pending" or "report closed, insufficient information to initiate the investigation"], the person filing the inquiry or complaint will also receive a response as to the final findings regarding their report [ "investigation complete; no corrective action required" or "investigation complete; corrective action taken]. All communications are confidential, whether generated on an employee's work computer or from an external site. The On-Line system is setup using the same six subject areas as the Hotline as well as categories for Auditing and Accounting Issues and Regulatory Standards of Conduct Issues. This system is also available to individuals outside the organization through the TECO Energy website.

  • A specific post office box and direct e-mail link, identified on the Investor Relations - Corporate Governance page of the TECO Energy website, has been established to facilitate reporting directly to the Board of Directors. This mechanism, administered confidentially by the Corporate Compliance Officer and staff who refer the complaints to the Audit Committee or Board member as appropriate, is in direct compliance with the law and requirements of the New York Stock Exchange.

All employees are encouraged to discuss any matter of concern to them or to report any violations of law or of the Standards of Integrity to their supervisors, to the officer responsible for their department, or to the Corporate Compliance Officer without fear of retribution through the Problem Resolution process.

This process is available for reporting problems or asking questions on work-related issues. In addition, TECO Energy has an open door procedure designed to provide all employees with an opportunity for a fair and impartial hearing when they feel they have not been treated properly in accordance with established corporate policy. This policy does not replace any collectively bargained grievance process, but is offered as an alternative method to all employees to solve work-related problems in the workplace.