An essential element in the long-term success strategy of any business organization is the development and implementation of a comprehensive ethics and compliance program to reduce the possibility of potentially harmful unethical practices in the workplace.

According to the Ethics Resource Center (ERC) the goal of an ethics and compliance program should be “to help governing authorities, managers, employees, and agents work together to pursue the purpose of an organization and achieve its more specific goals and objectives in a manner consistent with its standards for ethical business conduct”.

Compliance hotlines not only encourage employees to report wrongdoing, they can also contribute to a culture of trust and inclusion by showing employees leadership wants to hear from them. What happens next determines how truly effective a hotline can be.