CRI's Ken H. Springer Discusses Anonymous Hotlines with WSJ

Risk & Compliance Journal.

The Morning Risk Report: Priceline Proves Value of Anonymous Employee Reporting

The news last week that Priceline Group Chief Executive Darren Huston was forced to resign after an internal company investigation instigated by a whistleblower tip showed he was having an improper sexual relationship with an employee proves the value of companies having ways for workers to report unethical behavior in an anonymous way, said an executive at a company that provides such hotlines to businesses. Mr. Huston, a married man, won’t receive any severance payments and agreed to forfeit $13 million in equity awards as part of his dismissal.

“An anonymous hotline, as far as we’re concerned, is the epitome of best practices for protecting a company against fraud,” said Kenneth H. Springer, executive vice president of Corporate Resolutions. Such hotlines are simple to put in place, don’t cost very much money and allow even small- and mid-sized businesses to make sure their employees have an outlet in which to report what they suspect to be illegal activity, unethical conduct or problems with sexual or racial harassment, said Mr. Springer…
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