Compliance is good – Whistleblowing is better

Governments worldwide have recognized that corporate retribution is still a significant barrier to whistleblowing and have enacted new rules to enhance whistleblower protections.

The European Union adopted a whistleblower protection directive to ensure an EU-wide standard for whistleblower protection. Companies with more than 50 employees, as well as municipalities with populations of 10,000 or more, must establish secure and effective reporting systems. With these measures, the EU sends a message to whistleblowers that they are important while also encouraging them to shine a light on irregularities.

Why whistleblowing matters

Whistleblowing has always been associated with fear because it implies problems. Every report is viewed as a potential concern that requires immediate action, and significant charges of misbehavior could cause substantial economic interruption. This perspective on whistleblowing is erroneous, and it can lead to more dysfunction in an organization in the long run than anything the whistleblowers may say. The benefits of whistleblowing exceed the risks.

Whistleblowing is becoming more widely regarded as a means for businesses to gain better insight into internal processes that can assist executives in reducing risks. Whistleblowing is viewed as a powerful instrument in the fight against fraud. It’s also simple to communicate with the whistleblower through the system, even if they prefer to remain entirely anonymous. Overall, the system improves the efficiency of each case and ensures that it is handled compassionately, consistently, and appropriately with enhanced end-to-end encryption.

Fighting corruption and other severe irregularities may not always require whistleblowing. It is, without a question, a powerful preventive strategy and a vital reinforcing component of any organization’s attempts to create a transparent and ethical brand. It demonstrates to an organization’s stakeholders that it is serious about enforcing its Code of Conduct and establishing a compliance culture with the highest standards of business ethics.

There is more to whistleblowing compliance

Compliance with the new law is not only about avoiding fines but also focusing on the various benefits of whistleblowing.  With a whistleblowing system like Visslan’s, compliance is easy and the company can easily follow guidelines and whistleblowing legislation, not to mention the GDPR. It is probably the most cost-efficient way to become compliant in the right way, and instead put resources into unlocking the actual benefits of whistleblowing.

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The new legislation is of course good, but, as legislation sometimes does, it has created a demand for the wrong need. The main benefit of having a whistleblowing channel does not lie within compliance. It goes way beyond.

Compliance is good, but whistleblowing is better!