Reminders of Why No One Calls Your Ethics Hotline By Christopher Bauer Ultimately, few employees actually use ethics hotlines no matter how virtuous you might feel when setting one up. Most folks would agree that such hotlines are essential, though, so why are they actually so rarely used by employees? Here are a few of the most frequent reasons: j They fear that a hotline based inside your company means their confidentiality can’t or won’t be appropriately protected. j They feel that an external (outsourced) hotline means that ethics concerns aren’t really taken seriously internally. j They feel that a hotline provider, whether internal or external, won’t have the authority to actually do anything about the reported problem(s). j They aren’t clear about when or how to use the hotline. j They would much rather speak with a manager or executive they know personally and trust. (This, by the way, is by far the most frequently cited reason in most of the studies I’ve seen.) j You don’t actually have an ethics hotline. (Though, as it turns out, this may not mean you’re getting many fewer calls than companies that do have one!) So are ethics hotlines a bad idea? Not at all! In fact, they are terribly important for the employees willing to use them. The biggest problem has been when companies have seen them as a primary or sole ‘do-all’ for reporting and managing employee ethics concerns. There are simply too many reasons employees won’t use them for that to be appropriate. Setting up a well-run ethics hotline is a terrific idea. Not only are there a sub-set of employees who will prefer to use one over making an in-person report but having a hotline is yet another way to visibly drive the message that you take ethics seriously. Just don’t make the mistake of thinking that a hotline can substitute for solid, on-going training on how and when employees can and should also use the (hopefully!) many other available channels in your organization to address concerns about ethics. Christopher Bauer provides keynotes, seminars and workshops that help local government officials and employees develop stronger, more resilient professional ethics both individually and organizationally. (And his programs are actually fun!) Information on his programs — as well as free subscriptions to his Weekly Ethics Thought and monthly Municipal Ethics Tips and Trends newsletter — can be found a www.MunicipalEthics.com. FEBRUARY 2014
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