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Create Employee Hot-Line and Whistle Blower Mechanism Traditional employee hot lines presume to offer complete anonymity to the reporting employee; however, many times the hot line is directed to an individual or group of individuals within the organization’s Human Resources department. Under such circumstances, employees are often fearful that they cannot truly remain anonymous (should they wish to do so) due to caller identification technology and the possibility that their voice may be recognized. Hot lines of this nature are further plagued by additional restrictions inherent in the hot line's structure. Internal hot lines are often not available 24 hours per day, 7 days Therefore, employees making reports after regular business hours are required, at best, to leave a voice mail Organizations are then limited in their ability to continue communications with reporting employees who leave a voice mail, especially if they do not provide their name and contact information. The implementation of a third party anonymous incident reporting system provides many additional benefits to the savvy employer. Organizations with an anonymous system in place find that employees are much more likely to report concerns, given that the fear of retaliation or reprisal is often diminished when the possibility of identification decreases. In this way, such systems serve as early detection mechanisms for employers—they are often notified of fraudulent activity and other costly employee misconduct as it is “brewing” rather than after it has escalated beyond a reasonably manageable point. The establishment of a sophisticated hot line solution further communicates to employees that the organization cares about them and their safety, furthering loyalty and decreasing costs associated with employee turnover. Employers who invest in their most valuable asset—their employees—reap the benefits associated with doing so:increased productivity, decreased turnover, and a more stable and profitable organization overall. |
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