What is the role of a trustee?

It is not (currently) mandatory for organisations to employ a confidential advisor. This is something we do recommend to business owners. Within your organisation too, employees may have to deal with undesirable behaviour. Besides it being wise for a company to have a protocol in place in such a situation, it is especially pleasant for your employees to talk about their problems with an independent and confidential person. We take you through the role of a confidential advisor, for both the employer and employees.

Definition of confidant

A confidential advisor plays an important role in the policy on undesirable behaviour within an organisation. Undesirable behaviour naturally comes in different gradations and in some cases crosses boundaries. An employee can discuss confidential matters with a confidential advisor. The confidant offers a listening ear and looks for solutions. It mainly concerns the initial relief, after which the employee and the confidential advisor discuss the next steps.

Not always something concrete has to be done with the report. The employee in question may just want to get something off his/her chest, for instance. A report can be made in the reporting register, or external professionals can be called in (think mediator or coach). If the problem can be solved by yourself, the confidential counsellor will also provide guidance. The solution depends entirely on what the reporter wants, unless it involves criminal offences. Then the confidant must report to the police or judiciary. The role of a confidential counsellor is mainly to guide employees with their report. The reporter maintains control and the confidential counsellor weighs up the options together with the reporter.

Undesirable Behaviour and Non-interger Behaviour

Within the role of a confidential advisor, a distinction is made between two forms of undesirable behaviour: undesirable behaviour and non-integrity. OO is about (sexual) harassment, bullying, aggression and violence and discrimination. NIH are issues such as Integrity violations (abuse of power, corruption, theft) and social wrongdoing (environmental degradation)

Research by NEA (Dutch Enquête Arbeidsomstandigheden) from 2016 shows that around 1.1 million workers are victims of undesirable behaviour in the workplace. Over 11% of those cases reported harassment and over 8% reported bullying at work. No matter how big or small your company is, there is always a chance that your employees will have to deal with undesirable behaviour. This behaviour is often difficult for employers to detect and intercept. The confidential advisor fulfils this role and is there for your employees when they need it.

Consequences of undesirable behaviour

The consequences of undesirable behaviour at work should not be underestimated. The victims can become very unhappy, with consequent loss of productivity. In a department where the work atmosphere is disrupted, all colleagues may suffer the consequences and all productivity may decline. In the worst cases, employees may even start looking for another job. Besides causing a lot of hardship for the victims, it also has consequences for your company. For example, your employees may call in sick (for long periods of time), leading to a rise in absenteeism. Research by Arbobalans from 2020 shows that work-related psychological complaints account for 64% out of 6 billion in absenteeism costs.

The role of a confidant: welcoming and guiding employee

We just briefly described one of the most important tasks of a confidential counsellor. The confidant welcomes the employee and serves as the first point of contact. They listen to the employee's story, after which they look together for a solution and possible next steps. An interview with the confidential advisor need never be requested via the employer or manager. The threshold for an interview is therefore low. It is a confidential conversation in which an employee can speak to an independent person. The aim of the conversation is to end the undesirable behaviour. If the employee wishes, the confidential counsellor will refer him/her to professional counsellors and advisers.

Role of a trustee: Educate and inform organisation

If you have appointed an (external) confidential advisor, it is important that your employees know how to find the advisor. It is up to the employer to inform employees that a confidential advisor is available. This should show that talking to a confidant is confidential and that the report can remain anonymous. In addition, management should be well informed about what the role of confidential advisor is. This is to avoid misunderstandings.

It is therefore up to the confidant to keep a close eye on what reports are coming in for each organisation. This also includes spotting trends. The confidential counsellor then feeds these findings back to the management or board of the organisation. The confidential counsellor does this by means of an annual report. This gives the organisation insight into the nature and extent of the undesirable behaviour. Of course without breaching the confidentiality of the reporters.

The role of a trustee: Advising the board and/or management

A confidential advisor receives signals from employees about undesirable behaviour within an organisation. It is essential that the organisation is also aware of these signals. It is therefore up to the confidential counsellor to keep a close eye on which reports are received per organisation. This also includes spotting trends. The confidential counsellor then feeds these findings back to the management or board of the organisation. The confidential counsellor does this by means of an annual report. This gives the organisation insight into the nature and extent of the undesirable behaviour. Of course without breaching the confidentiality of the reporters.

Who do you choose?

Now that it is clear exactly what a confidant does, it is up to the employer to weigh up the choice. Are you going to hire a confidential advisor? If so, will it be an internal or external confidential counsellor? In this article (link to article internal/external vp), we list all the pros and cons for you.

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We have designed a membership for SMEs. This ensures that you comply with the new legislation, employ an external trustee and do not spend more than necessary. Contact us for more information.