When it comes to ethical leadership within a company, a competent, loyal, trustworthy manager projects this confidence to all employees. Leadership ethics is an integral part of a strong relationship between the top-tier leaders of a company and their employees and stakeholders. A strong leader encourages a positive work environment that fosters company growth and a trusting relationship between employees and their leaders. Continue reading to discover how your company can improve morale and productivity by incorporating leadership ethics and a solid ethics policy, reinforced, of course, with an ethics hotline.

Leadership Consistency

Employees seek consistency in their management’s leadership, whether it’s concerning a technical issue, ethics violations, or a personnel matter. A leader’s approach should follow the same protocols and procedures each time. A solid ethics policy enables management to utilize these protocols unfailingly, arriving at a logical resolution each time. And an ethics hotline provides a channel for reporting, holding leaders accountable in consistency.

Integrity Standards for All Company Leaders

Those in positions of leadership must maintain standards of integrity that reflect their company’s ethics policies. These ideals may vary slightly, depending on the company’s mission statement or direction, however, these ideals must apply to all company leaders. Maintaining these standards reassures employees and stakeholders that the company embraces ethical management practices. A commitment to integrity is bolstered by the availability of an ethics hotline for anonymous reporting.

Mutual Respect Among All Employee Ranks

Inclusion and unbiased consideration for all employees should be a top priority when creating a leadership ethics policy. Mutual respect begins with a company’s leadership and employees who observe this behavior in action will begin to emulate this attribute with their coworkers. An ethics hotline that is in place is an excellent illustration of leadership’s commitment and sensitivity to all employees that mutual respect will continually remain a priority.

Equality and Support

Employees look to their leadership for support and expect to be treated with equality. When employees have the assurance that their leadership supports them, work productivity improves, and a pleasant work environment is cultivated. By offering a clear, concise ethics policy, a message of unity and support is sent to employees, indicating that their company’s leadership stands behind their staff. An ethics hotline helps to ensure that any intolerable behaviors can be reported and remedied quickly.

Leadership Accountability

Those in the capacity of a leadership position are held to a higher standard and accountability level. Routine monitoring and feedback provide constructive criticism for management and reinforce practices that are successful in the management-to-employee connection. By conducting regular training and education, companies and their leaders are displaying their objective to always maintain a balance between remaining true to the ethical standards of the company and being supportive of their employees.

How an Ethics Hotline Can Help

An ethics hotline can bridge the gap between management and employees, offering a safe, anonymous method for complaints, feedback, or concerns to be communicated. Sometimes, employees are reluctant to verbalize concerns or issues they may have with management. However, utilizing an ethics hotline offers a safe, confidential avenue for staff members to voice their concerns without fear of retaliation. And there are several reporting options to choose from, including confidential email, web portals, cell phone apps, and call centers via landline telephone services. Ethical Advocate can help create an ethics hotline that is right for your company’s needs. Contact our ethics team to learn more.