5 Reasons to Implement a Whistleblower Solution

Whether it is to reduce losses due to fraud, building a loyal workforce, or to prevent serious injuries in the workplace, the benefits of whistleblowing are something that any organization needs. The right policy and reporting channel can be an important part of its success.

In short, the five reasons are:

1. Increased awareness
2. A cornerstone of your business
3. Create an open culture
4. Prevent unwanted media attention
5. Prevent problems from escalating

We take a closer look at the five points below.

Increased awareness

Without whistleblowers, it is easy for us as organizations to be unaware of illegal or unethical things happening right under our noses. The information that whistleblowing conveys, regardless of the degree or nature of it, can increase awareness of issues and problems within an organization that need to be addressed or changed.

With such knowledge in hand, an organization can learn, grow and prosper. Therefore, a proper whistleblower system is crucial to deal with violations in a fast and constructive way.

Also read: 3 ways to encourage employees to report malpractice

A cornerstone of your business

All organizations should have a whistleblowing policy. Large or well-known companies risk getting a lot of negative media attention and losing funding if they end up in a scandal. Smaller companies can be completely destroyed by an ethical offense.

For newly formed organizations, a whistleblowing policy should be among the first to be established. With employees who receive the right training and have access to a hotline or other method of internal reporting, your organization is protected.

Create an open culture

An organization that actively encourages employees to report concerns, and supports them if they do, gains more confidence. An open and honest culture usually creates better working relationships and commitment that results in higher productivity.

In addition, loyal employees are more likely to make an internal report rather than disclose information externally. This allows the organization in question to handle and solve problems internally, rather than being lambasted on social media or in traditional media.

Prevent unwanted media attention

Companies, their leaders and employees are constantly in the news for misconduct, including harassment, discrimination, fraud and misrepresentation of data.

Whistleblowing is an effective internal tool that enables company leaders to identify problems in the workplace and address them. Keeping your organization scandal-free and outside the media will make it more appealing to potential investors, stakeholders and future employees.

Also read: The Benefits of Whistleblowing

Prevent problems from escalating

One of the biggest benefits of an effective whistleblowing solution within an organization is that it provides the ability to detect problems early. When the information is shared directly with the dedicated team, the organization can deal with the problem immediately, before it escalates.

This in itself can prevent potential serious injury to staff or the company itself. Reducing risks early and dealing with problems early also means that an organization can focus on what is really important: the business. But you can only focus on the business if the risk of problems inflating is minimized.

In summary

Although there are a large number of different reasons and benefits of implementing a whistleblowing solution, these are the most important. On the one hand, they increase awareness of the ethical rules that apply to the organization, and on the other hand, they reduce the risk of problems arising. Once problems occur, whistleblowing often prevents the problems from escalating.

It should be a cornerstone of your business to create an open culture where employees feel they can report when something goes wrong. By reporting and handling problems internally, you also prevent unwanted media attention. The result is a reliable organization where employees both thrive and feel good.