What does a Confidential Counselor do?

A Confidential Counselor supports employees regarding reports or complaints of unwanted behavior, such as harassment, aggression, discrimination, or integrity/fraud issues. They listen, guide, advise the employee, and, if necessary, refer them to relevant support services.

How have you arranged accessibility for reporters?

Our client’s employees can report misconduct 24/7 through our partner Whistleblower Software’s reporting platform. The platform is multilingual, 100% secure, and confidential. Certified Confidential Counselors then handle the report according to the applicable guidelines.
For employees who prefer to report by phone, there is also 24/7 availability, with initial contact typically established within 8 hours.

What is the difference between an internal and external Confidential Counselor?

Internal Confidential Counselors are colleagues within the organization, while external Confidential Counselors are independent professionals from outside the organization. Externals provide more independence, while the internals are close and can offer insights based on their own experience within the organization.

What are the benefits of an external Confidential Counselor?

An external Confidential Counselor provides independence and is often better able to maintain confidentiality and objectivity, which can be crucial in sensitive situations. 1for2 Social Innovation is happy to collaborate with internal Confidential Counselors who are familiar with the organization and can provide valuable support to employees. When working with internal Confidential Counselors, we always ensure the confidentiality of the reporter is maintained.

What role does a Confidential Counselor play in preventing unwanted behavior?

Confidential Counselors play a crucial role in preventing unwanted behavior by providing education and advice to employees and managers. They also offer employees a safe place to express their concerns. Without compromising confidentiality, patterns of misconduct are also discussed with the company’s management so that, for example, additional training or attention can be directed to departments where things are not going well.

How can we engage your services as an External Confidential Counselor?

You can contact us by phone or email to request a confidential counselor subscription. Make sure you have the number of employees and service locations on hand so that, based on the intake and that information, we can quickly provide you with a price quote.

How do you choose the right Confidential Counselor for your organization?

When choosing a Confidential Counselor, it’s essential to consider whether internal or external support is a better fit for the organization. Ensuring both expertise and independence is essential. 1for2 Social Innovation has provided Confidential Counselor services since 2018; feel free to ask us for our references.

Who needs to comply with the European Whistleblower Directive?

Every company based in the EU with 50 or more employees must comply with the directive’s requirements or may face sanctions. The Whistleblower Directive also includes rules for local authorities in places with more than 10,000 inhabitants.

IMPORTANT: Even if your company is located outside the EU, it must comply with the directive if you have an EU establishment with at least 50 employees.

What do companies need to do to comply with this?

Together with 1for2 Social Innovation, we go through the following steps:

1. We agree to a Subscription for an External Confidential Counselor. This includes guiding Whistleblowers. We also start reviewing the policy right away. A good reporting procedure has clear guidelines that protect employees from retaliation, outlines the procedures for reporting and investigating complaints, and describes the role of the External Confidential Counselor in situations where difficult issues arise.
2. We activate the Whistleblowing reporting system. We simplify all required confidentiality and secure data processing.
3. We educate employees about their rights and how to make a report. We provide printable posters with QR codes that make it easy to access the platform and make a report.

Anonymous reports are part of the system. Lastly, establish a solid anti-retaliation policy, conduct fair investigations, and support whistleblowers when difficult situations arise.

How does the anonymous reporting feature work?

The reporter can choose whether to report anonymously or confidentially.

There is an option to create a voice message, which lowers the threshold for making reports. In this case, metadata from the audio file is removed, and voice distortion can be used to ensure the reporter remains unidentifiable.

Because no personal data is collected, there is no risk of the person making the report being identified.
The dashboard we use as External Confidential Counselor only displays the necessary details to take action based on the report.