I read an article in HR Zone (an HR site based in the UK) about a company that set up an anonymous hotline for worker complaints. On the surface it sounds good, but what if people plot against you? (Insert paranoia here) Isn’t it best to hear complaints from people who will not hide in shadow? Or, is it better that a third party investigates first? What are your thoughts?
If you had a chance to slander a manager that you do not like and would not get in trouble in anyway, would you? Curious….
Here is the article:
UK – Surrey County Council has set up an anonymous telephone service to allow staff to report workplace issues such as bullying, as part of its ‘investing in staff’ strategy.
The hotline allows staff to raise problems if they are not confident in taking bullying or harassment complaints to their manager.
The hotline can be used by staff who have witnessed bullying or are being bullied or harassed at work. Employees who have concerns that someone acting for the council is involved in criminal activity, fraud, or theft can also use the hotline, as can anyone who wishes to report damage to council property or to its reputation.
The council has teamed up with Expolink to provide the service, and trained handlers will deal with all calls.
Callers do not have to give their names or numbers, but they will be given a reference number so they can call back with more information.
A report will be sent securely to authorised council staff, who will decide what action to take. Expolink will destroy its copy.
County Council chief executive Richard Shaw said: “We are launching this reporting hotline as part of our investing in staff strategy and our commitment to listening to employee concerns.
“We want to hear about staff concerns so that we can improve the way Surrey County Council does its business.”
Source: Council staff to vent workplace complaints on hotline
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Hi Jim,
There is a new law on the book that mandates that all public companies to provide resources for their employees to be able to anonymously report any alleged fraud and misconduct.
Many of these companies use hotline services. Several Companies here in the U.S which provide services to these companies include Lighthouse Services, Syrus Global, Allegiance. This is a Quickly Growing and Expanding Business.
Many companies since instituting these hotlines have been able to locate fraud and abuse much more effectively and able to tackle it quickly, before it became a bigger and more costly legal issue, as they were able to Guard against Sarbanes, Ethics, and other employment fraud violations
It is scary, yes, but there are full investigations (audits) by the companies to determine the accuracy of the reports. Many of these audits can actually take mths, and sometimes the alleged offender are asked to take a leave of absence during this time frame. Yes they are reimbursed.
Karen