A Whistleblower is when an employee uncovers dishonest, illegal, fraudulent or dangerous practices by his or her employer or coworker. An employee who reports misconduct that he believes is in the public interest is an authorized person within an organization or workplace, depending on the procedures followed. They are what we know as reporting or whistleblowing.
The rise of whistleblowing began with the global financial crisis of 2007–08, which led to a crackdown on corporate corruption, and today the benefits of a whistleblowing system extend beyond exposing financial irregularities. The information obtained from whistleblowing activities can be invaluable to organisations that want to prevent damage as a result of these activities. Moreover, studies show, that implementation of an adequate and effective internal communication channels through which employees can voice concerns about questionable activities benefits employees as much as it benefits the organisation.
Whistleblowing systems can become a valuable part of a comprehensive health and safety management strategy that encourages accountability and gives workers a voice and influence in the workplace. Honesty and transparency help to enable clear and effective communication between employees and management departments, leading to higher productivity and efficiency. With honesty among employees, it is likely that a higher cultivation of dedicated and loyal employees will help your company succeed.
Whistleblowing policy
An effective whistleblowing policy also improves the ethical environment by increasing employee confidence that their ethical concerns will be taken seriously and that they will not be punished for attempts in good faith to report alleged breaches of the law or of the code of ethics.
What is more, recent customer survey on organizational whistleblowingshows that 50% of respondents said that building trust is the main advantage of a whistleblowing system. This suggests that whistleblowing has gone beyond early warning hotlines and is now an important part of the organizational ethical toolbox.
However, in order for the whistleblowing system to fulfill its role and be beneficial for both the organization and employees, it must be suitable for the organization. This means that the best results will bring a whistleblowing system, which will be adapted to the specificity of the organization and its employees. The implementation of the system consists not only in the provision of appropriate software, but above all in the creation of appropriate internal policies and proper training of employees.
Each policy should include details of what employees need to know in case of a whistleblower. A whistleblower policy for workers should explain their procedures for disclosing information and how they expect feedback. It should also show how the employee whistled and how he experienced the result. At the end of the day, the aim should be both to ensure the system itself, but mainly to ensure the comfort and anonymity of the whistleblower.
