In a State of Emergency, the Ethics Officer may at any time call in any staff member and do an Ethics E-Meter check. This consists of setting the meter up, sensitivity 16, and handing the cans to the staff member taking the check. No question is asked of the staff member, and the staff member is not informed of readings. The Ethics Officer records the position of the tone arm and the condition of the needle and that is all. The entire check takes no more than 5-15 seconds. The staff member’s pc folder is at hand during the check. As soon as the check is over, and before calling another staff member in for a check (if more than one staff member is being checked, as would be likely), the Ethics Officer examines the auditor’s reports for the past few sessions to see if there have been no gains (or less than 10 Divs TA action per 2 1/2 hour session average) or roller-coaster gains.
Then the Ethics Officer takes action as follows:
If staff member has had gains and kept them, and TA is neither very low (below 2.0) or very high (above 5.0) and needle is not RS’ing or very tight, inform staff member he or she is passed on the meter check.
If staff member has had roller-coaster case gains, order suspended from staff and to report to Ethics. Ethics action is as per PTS. When handled, return to staff.
If staff member has had no case gains (or inadequate TA as above), order suspended from staff and to report to Ethics. Ethics investigates staff member as possible SP and handles accordingly.
RS’ing or very tight needle, suspend from staff and order to Ethics. Investigate for PTS or SP, and handle accordingly.
Very low or very high TA: order removed from any executive post and transferred to minor duties or even off all duties (not off payroll). If a Secretary, cable Exec Director with recommendations and results of Meter Check. Do not handle otherwise.
Checks should be given to staff who continue to accumulate reports in an Emergency. The Ethics Officer has the right to examine any or all staff, if the Emergency appears to be continuing and application of Emergency Formula has so far failed to get org out of Emergency.
HCO Exec Sec may request a meter check on the Ethics Officer in an Emergency.
The Office of LRH (local or WW) may be petitioned for a re-check, the re-check being given by any properly qualified auditor, in the presence of the Ethics Officer (HCO Exec Sec if it is the Ethics Officer being checked).
As soon as the Emergency is over, all staff (except SPs found or undisconnected PTSs) are returned to original post held, entering the org again through Ethics, subject to okay of the appropriate Exec Sec (Exec Dir in the case of a Secretary). All persons handled this way (except PTSs who have disconnected and SPs who are no longer on staff anyway) are warned that they should take action swiftly (if they have not already done so) to improve their case shape.
The above also applies to Division, Department, Section or Unit Emergencies. Also, the Office of LRH (local or WW) may order an Ethics E-Meter check, normally at the request of the Ethics Officer, any time.
An Ethics E-Meter check should be given any new staff applicants.
Tech Note: