Training about your helpline

Training about your helpline

A column in HCCA’s Compliance Today reminds us of an important topic that might not otherwise be covered in training.??Donnetta Horseman, in “Compliance hotline training,” (Compliance Today, 47 (Mar. 2022), cautions us that it is not enough just to tell people “you can report any concerns on the hotline.”??Sure, you, as a compliance professional know what this means, but your employees very likely do not.??

Among the points to cover in training would be how to use the reporting system, and what actually happens when a report is received.??Employees should know that there is more than one way to report, including some form of access online.??It should be clear that the company goes to some length to protect from retaliation those who raise issues.??For this purpose my own advice is not to depend on the old approach of just saying “we don’t tolerate retaliation.”??You need to give them some reason to believe you.??I recommend giving examples (with no names disclosed) where people have been disciplined for even threatening retaliation, and advise that the company follows up to make sure those who report are treated fairly.??It is also especially good if the company has examples where it has even hired a whistleblower from another company, and/or promoted a whistleblower in the company.??

Employees should also be trained on what happens when a report is received. This could include some insight into how long an investigation may take and why that time is required. Some background could be provided on how investigations are conducted. This point could also cover the need for anonymous reporters to stay in touch in case the investigators have follow-up questions.??It would also include explaining why some actions taken as a result of an investigation may have to remain confidential.???

A final note about this article.??The field of compliance and ethics is very broad.??Sometimes advice and information??published in one segment, such as healthcare, can be very valuable in all segments. So even those who keep up on their single field of compliance practice should also keep in touch with sources like SCCE for advice that has value in all compliance fields.??