Encouraging reports of violations: good policies, procedures and practices
Last Friday I spoke on how to encourage reports of suspected violations and prevent retaliation at the SCCE NE Regional C&E Conference. In the presentation – the slides for which can be accessed here – I examine:
– The uniquely powerful (in the C&E world, that is) legal drivers for strong program efforts in this area.
– The many relevant do’s and don’ts in code of conduct drafting. (Note that while I tend to think that codes play less of a part in the success of C&E programs than is often assumed to be the case, what is and isn’t in a code can play an outsized role in encouraging C&E reports, as the code might well be closely reviewed by a potential whistleblower seeking to determine just how sincere a company is its urging employees to report suspected violations.)
– The necessity of other policies – particularly an escalation one – in this effort.
– Various relevant forms of training and communications – particularly training managers how to respond when an employee reports a concern to them.
– Investigations and discipline, including the importance of seeking “organizational justice” in the workplace, and also the role that incentives can play in this area.
– Relevant governance, management, auditing, monitoring and self-assessment measures.
I hope you find some of it useful.