e-Counselor^SM:  Custom, Online Ethics Decision Tree 

Beyond Training:  A Step-By-Step Guide to Use in Real Life

In the same way that computer software programs sometimes offer a troubleshooting tool to resolve technical problems, employees can use the e-Counselor as an ongoing resource to apply your specific policies to actual ethical or legal dilemmas that they face in the real world.

Our online and instructor-led courses are effective in helping employees spot ethical dilemmas and practice addressing those issues in the training.  However, what does an employee do if he or she is presented with an ethical or legal dilemma months later in real life?  While we would hope that the employee would always drop everything and call his or her compliance officer, HR professional, in-house counsel, or other official, in reality many employees don't seek guidance on how to deal with ethical dilemmas.  And while they may consult their employer's code of conduct or other policies, they may not find the specific issue or be able to apply the principles outlined in the policies to their specific situation.

The e-Counselor gives employees an easy, step-by-step tool to guide their decisions and determine when and from whom they should seek guidance.

Guides Employees When to Make Decision Themselves and When to Seek Guidance

Suppose an employee is invited to a clients' birthday party, and is trying to decide whether to bring a gift.

The employee could access the e-Counselor, either from an online course, its online certification site, or the employer's intranet, and try to determine what would be the appropriate thing to do.

After navigating to the "Gifts, Favors, and Entertainment" "branch" of the e-Counselor, the employee would be asked a series of questions to determine whether bringing a gift would be lawful and consistent with the employer's specific policies.

Of course, in some cases, the e-Counselor will instruct the employee NOT to try to resolve the issue by him or herself, but instead to contact the appropriate person for advice.  That person's contact information can be included in the e-Counselor.  And if this information were to change, we could update the e-Counselor immediately.

Custom-Built to Your Specific Policies and Reporting Procedures

The e-Counselor is custom-built to reflect each client's policies.  For example, in the example above, if the employer has a dollar threshold above which employees are not allowed to give gifts to clients, then the e-Counselor would incorporate that specific dollar amount.

To build the e-Counselor, our attorneys and instructional designers follow these steps:

1. Discuss with the client which policies and topics it would like covered in its e-Counselor
2. Review the client's code of conduct and relevant policies
3. Draft the e-Counselor "branches" based on client's policies
4. Review draft to ensure information is presented in step-by-step manner at an 8^th grade reading level
5. Receive feedback from client
6. Input content into our proprietary technology
7. Translate content in the number of languages required
   

Because of our technology, we can develop and deliver an e-Counselor quickly and inexpensively.

Delivered in Any Language
The e-Counselor can be delivered in any language.
 
Accessing the e-Counselor
Employees can access the e-Counselor at any time from an online course, an online certification site, or the employer's intranet.  An employer can choose to include portions or all of its e-Counselor in its online courses so that employees can practice using the tool.

Print a Flyer
To view or print a flyer describing the content, features, and benefits of Brightline Compliance's e-Counselor, click on the image below.(PDF)

To Learn More
To learn more, call Brightline Compliance at (800) 331-7965 or contact us.