Posted by Adam Turteltaub

Compliance teams spend a great deal of time and effort encouraging employees to contact the helpline.  But, points out Jay Anstine, Compliance Program Director, Western Division, Banner Health, we tend to make less of an effort to train them in what happens after they make that call.

That’s a mistake, he argues in this podcast, since employees who see perceived wrongdoing tend to feel anxious and vulnerable.  They are stressed because they are uncertain what is going to happen, if anything.

By helping them understand the post-call process, we can eliminate this blind spot, he argues, greatly reduce the stress level, and increase the likelihood that they will come forward.  That means providing training that brings greater clarity to the process during on-boarding and annually thereafter.  It also means taking the time to understand the questions the workforce may have about what happens from start to finish.

Also, he advises, include in the training information about what to expect when reporting face to face, either to their supervisor, or somewhere else, including the compliance team.

Finally, Jay provides insight into how to make the reporter feel comfortable when bringing the information to compliance, and what you can do to protect his or her anonymity.

Listen in to learn more about how demystifying the helpline could help yours ring more often.