Make the Intake Safe, Not Casual
Run the first five minutes of an ER intake without promising an outcome or prejudging the facts.
The move: receive the concern, bound the promise, then gather facts. An ER intake starts a formal duty of care even when the employee says, "I just need advice." The risk is that you try to create comfort by promising too much. Absolute confidentiality is usually not available. A guaranteed outcome is never available. What you can offer is a fair process: careful listening, limited sharing, timely review, documentation, and a clear next step. Three jobs of the first five minutes First, make it safe to speak: thank the employee, slow down, and do not interrupt with policy conclusions. Second,…
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