Philadelphia City Controller Rebecca Rhynhart is leading an initiative against sexual misconduct in the workplace.

As part of a performance audit of the City of Philadelphia’s sexual misconduct policies and procedures, which Rhynhart announced last month, the city controller has created a phone line for City employees, both current and former, to discuss any experiences they had with sexual misconduct while working for the City.

“The purpose of this phone line is to better understand the policies, processes and procedures in place from the perspective of the individual who has to go through it,” Rhynhart said in a statement. “In addition to giving victims a voice, I believe that the information provided by City employees will be valuable to the audit findings, and importantly, the information will help us develop more meaningful recommendations.”

The number for the phone line, which is now open, is 215-988-8024. Rhynhart encourages past or present city employees to call, regardless of gender.

"Every person should feel safe and supported in their workplace,” Rhynhart said. “Improving the City’s sexual misconduct policies and procedures is a step in the right direction.”

Callers will be asked to leave a voicemail with preliminary information, including name and phone number, then calls will be returned within two business days. Caller identities will be kept confidential, but the information provided about their experience with sexual misconduct will be used in the audit.

The audit, which is currently in “the information-gathering phase,” is expected to take about three months to complete.