Having an ethics hotline is only half the battle. It’s essential that you also make employees and others aware that the hotline is available. And depending on how your organization is growing and set up, there could be individuals within your company who have forgotten that an ethics hotline exists altogether.

To prevent your ethics hotline from going unused, it’s imperative to execute a regular communication strategy with reminders and announcements. And today, we’re sharing other great insights to promote awareness and benefits of your ethics hotline.

Consider Hosting a Dedicated Landing Page on Your Company Website

Some companies, especially with those remote or hybrid staff, use their websites as primary methods of ethics hotline announcements. Create a dedicated landing page within your company website that provides information and details about your company’s commitment to ethics. Within it, you can capture messaging that includes your efforts to maintain ethically responsible working relationships and workplace environments, listing your ethics hotline as an important anonymous tool for reporting.

Consider Posting Physical Ethics Hotline Reminders in the Workplace

It’s also a great idea to make smart use of signage throughout the workplace. From administrative offices to shop floor distribution centers, post announcements about your company’s ethics hotline posted where everyone can see them. Lobbies and customer areas are equally important since guests, clients, and visitors can all use your hotline to report suspicious or witnessed violations.

Send Quarterly Email Reminders to Staff About Ethics Hotline Availability

Another effective method for announcing and reminding your teams of your ethics hotline is with regular or quarterly emails. Consider drafting tips, best practices, and ethics-related resources that are available to your employees. And encourage them to report any activity they believe violates your organization’s ethics policies.

Share Positive Ethics Hotline Metrics

When you have an ethics hotline in place, you’ll have access to analytics and metrics that demonstrate your ability to mitigate risk and preserve ethical work environments. Use that regularly analyzed data as good news worth sharing with your staff. Positive ethics trends are always great promotional tools and also serve as reminders of the effectiveness of your ethics hotline program.

Include Ethics Hotline Reminders via HR and Payroll

Keep your ethics hotline active among your teams by deputizing both your HR and payroll managers to help. Human resources can present written or verbal reminders about an ethics hotline during performance reviews or HR training sessions. Payroll can participate in the awareness effort, too, by including brief reminders with paychecks or digital pay stubs.

What to Include with Your Ethics Hotline Announcements

Whatever channels or methods you use to remind and encourage others to use your company ethics hotline, make sure the messaging is on point. These are the key pointers to note for widespread trust and adoption of your hotline.

Instructions: How to call and what to expect when reporting incidents.

Benefits: Why it’s important for others to report potential ethics violations.

Anonymity: Ongoing reminders about the complete protection and anonymity, without retaliation or retribution, of those who come forward.

Keep these tips in mind as you continuously promote the availability of your ethics hotline. And if you don’t yet have one, contact Ethical Advocate to learn more about getting started.