Life is full of complicated problems and difficult decisions. When there’s something strange, in your neighbourhood, who you gonna call? Thankfully, we now have an answer and it’s not supernatural.
The Ethics Centre, a not-for-profit organisation in Sydney helping to “bring ethics to the centre of personal and professional life” has launched the world’s first ethical hotline.
The service, named ‘Ethi-call’, is a free and confidential decision-making helpline run by The Ethics Centre. Anyone with a burning ethical dilemma can book a one-hour phone session with one of their 20 trained counsellors to help work through difficult decisions.
Issues can be personal or professional, ranging from whether to dob in a neighbour breaking COVID restrictions, to whether callers should prioritise online school learning for their children or their own workload.
The counsellors don’t offer advice but guide callers through a series of questions to explore their dilemma to help them come to the best decision for them and their circumstances.
The Ethics Centre says that the phone counselling service is currently receiving its highest-ever caller volume since it first launched 30 years ago, and demand is expected to only grow as the COVID-19 pandemic rolls on.
“Sometimes it seems that there are no good options, or no option at all, when it comes to decisions, so we provide impartial guidance to help people find some clarity and a way forward,” said The Ethics Centre’s Director of Ethi-call, Michelle Bloom.
Bloom said regardless of the size of the issue or topic, it always helps to speak to someone who is independent and objective.
“We’ve taken various calls tackling all issues, from honesty and duty of care in relationships, to conflict of interest and trust in the workplace. Ethi-call counsellors have been able to lend an ear to callers in distress and provide them with the agency to make the right decisions for themselves,” she said.
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