Trust: the foundation for teamwork
At gevoelszaken, we believe that every person deserves to feel safe and heard wherever they are, including in the workplace. A culture that prioritises openness and trust leads to greater employee satisfaction and productivity. Appointing an external confidential adviser from gevoelszaken will help to create such a culture.
What does an external confidential adviser do?
An external confidential adviser (CA) is an independent professional who is committed to ensuring the social safety and integrity of the work environment in your organisation. The CA is available to employees who experience an unwelcome situation relating to undesirable conduct and integrity. Their primary task is to provide care and support to employees. Because employees can bring their concerns to the external confidential adviser without having to worry about internal conflicts of interest, this creates the space needed for open and honest conversations.
In addition, the confidential adviser plays a watchdog role and provides information and advice.
The benefits of an external confidential adviser
- Effective handling of undesirable conduct
- No internal conflicts of interest
- Compliance with laws and regulations
- Demonstration of commitment to employees
- Investment in a culture of openness and safety
- Reduction in employee absenteeism, attrition and turnover
Legal obligation?
Various laws specify the ways in which an employer must ensure the social safety of the working environment, as well as the integrity of the organisation. The work that the CA does, relates to these two aspects. The new workplace legislation regarding psychosocial stress at work requires companies with more than 10 employees to appoint a confidential adviser. This bill has already been approved by the Tweede Kamer (the Dutch House of Representatives) and is currently (2024) with the Eerste Kamer (the Dutch Senate) for approval. It is only a matter of time before companies will be obliged to appoint a confidential adviser.
Burden or opportunity?
Perhaps you’re already thinking: great, yet another administrative burden for employers. At gevoelszaken, however, we prefer to take a positive view: to us, having an external confidential adviser is an integral part of building an environment where everybody feels safe enough to speak up. Groundbreaking research indicates that trust and psychological safety lead to better team performance.
Teams in which people dare to admit mistakes, take risks and share ideas without fear of shame or repercussions consistently perform better than teams in which this safety is lacking.
Confidentiality
The confidential adviser establishes a relationship based on trust with the person seeking their help. As a confidential adviser, you promise the employee that their concerns will be kept between you. You handle everything they tell you with discretion. The confidential adviser is subject to a confidentiality obligation and (if specified at the time of appointment) an internal right of nondisclosure. However, there are a few exceptions to this, for example in the case of serious criminal offences.
Why opt for an external confidential adviser from gevoelszaken?
Our confidential advisers are professional experts who are committed to their task. They understand the uniqueness of every situation, and that individuals deal differently with tension, stress and conflicts. They are there to listen to the employee making the report, as well as to inform them about solutions that are helpful and effective for both the employee and the company.
Whether your organisation is facing minor tensions or significant challenges, we are here to help. Let’s work together to enhance the safety and well-being within your organisation.
If you would like to know more about our external confidential advisers, please feel free to contact one of our account managers.
Let’s talk.
What is undesirable conduct?
Undesirable conduct is behaviour in the workplace that has a negative impact on others. This can include bullying, sexual or other kinds of harassment, discrimination, aggression, exclusion and unfair treatment.
What are integrity issues?
Reports relating to integrity issues can include any type of action contrary to ethical standards, such as fraud, conflicts of interest, abuse of power, or non-compliance with rules and procedures.
Introducing Emilie
My name is Emilie Speelman. In addition to my work as a psychosocial therapist, I am also an external confidential adviser at gevoelszaken. Throughout my years of experience in the business world, where I have worked as a member of a team, I have encountered many situations that could be perceived as undesirable. I truly understand how such situations can affect your state of mind, and your sense of safety.
As an external confidential adviser, I am here to help anyone who has experienced undesirable conduct in the workplace. Read more
If you have something on your mind, know that you don’t have to deal with it on your own. You can discuss anything with me, and what you tell me will stay between us. I am only obliged to report matters in exceptional cases, for example if they involve serious criminal offences, or if I am required to do so by law.
Undesirable conduct can take many forms, such as bullying, sexual or other harassment, aggression, discrimination, or integrity issues. The misconduct you wish to discuss may also be a suspicion.
I am completely independent in my role. I listen without judgement, and I don’t take sides. Simply telling your story can sometimes feel like a huge relief. After our initial talk, you might decide you want to take further steps, in which case we will help you to go through your options. If you would like to talk about the situation with the person involved or with your manager, for instance, we can decide on the best approach together. Alternatively, you might like tips on how to phrase your concerns, or for me to be present during the conversation. There is a host of possible options. Or, we can discuss the consequence of taking no action at all, or filing a complaint or initiating a reporting procedure.
The main thing is that you feel good about what you decide to do. You are always in charge.
My goal is to help build a work environment in which everyone feels confident and where there’s space to grow
About our confidential advisers
Our external confidential advisers are approachable and empathetic. They have a background as a certified coach or therapist, as well as experience in the business world. They are independent and are skilled at identifying and distinguishing between different interests.
Due to their thorough understanding of relationships and organisational culture, they can quickly spot situations that might lead to undesirable conduct. Their reflective ability enables them to provide clear feedback to both the person making the report, and the organisation. They remain calm under pressure and consistently act in accordance with social, ethical and professional standards.
Our confidential advisers ensure that both employees and employers feel heard, and they work towards finding solutions that are beneficial to both parties. We look forward to deploying these skills on behalf of your organisation.
Let’s talk.
Interested in strengthening your team?