While we have procedures in place for employees to express concerns or complaints we do not offer a way for employees to do so anonymously except during our annual employee survey. Does anyone spell out how an employee can submit info anonymously? It is being suggested we include a way in our procedures so I'm looking for ideas on how to best provide the anonymous way.

we use a 3rd party where the employee can contact them via phone and anonymously report

At my previous bank, there was a suggestion box in each break room in which employees could submit things anonymously. There was never anything in there when checked though.

Same here, whistle blower hotline

by any chance was the suggestion box under a camera? i worked at a bank that couldn't figure out why no one ever used it, then someone mentioned it was stationed beneath a camera and the prevalent thought was the bank would review film to see who made the anonymous suggestions. it was moved elsewhere in the bank and suddenly had weekly submissions.

Nope. No cameras in the break/lunch rooms so that wasn't the issue.

Many years ago, I worked in a blue collar shop that had a suggestion box. One morning there was a meeting of all the management and there seemed to be a lot of concern over something. I noticed that the suggestion box disappeared around this time, but did not associate the two events. When I was leaving that facility for another within the same company, they told me that they hadn't wanted to mention it, but a very suggestive suggestion had been placed in the suggestion box and they felt it should be removed at that time. Not quite understanding why they were telling me this, I asked what they meant. The said the suggestion was about me. For a part of the time I worked there, I worked the 3:30 to midnight shift and was alone on that side of the building for most of the time. I wasn't very happy, but young enough to blow it off then. In retrospect, they really probably should have done something like let me know then so I would be more observant. There were approximately 350 workers at the facility - odds are that at least one was a nut.

I have disliked suggestion boxes since that time. I think people lose control with written word and anonymity, so I think the third party telephone method would be best.

3rd party, whistle blower hotline. Any calls are reported to the Chair of the Board.

Our ethics hotline is through a third party vendor to maintain anonymity, and I recently attended a seminar where the speaker suggested that even smaller companies should use one.