Impact of the Whistle blowing policy on an employ and organization by Kumudu

 

Whistle blowing policy

The Employment Rights Act of 1996 has provisions about whistleblowing (as amended by the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998). If a worker has been victimized at work or has lost their job as a result of 'blowing the whistle,' they have the right to take their case to an employment tribunal.

Through this whistle blowing policy, an employee of an organization can notify themselves or their organization of any financial misconduct or discrimination. The informant may be an employee or a third party within the organization.

Whistle blowing police have been tasked with reporting any misconduct within the organization. In such a case the employees should inform their line manager. External whistle blowing is the act of reporting misconduct through the media, police, or social media.

When employees or a third party does not trust the company's whistle blowing system, they turn to other public media.

Whistleblowing in the workplace is different than filing a workplace complaint. Grievance is a personal situation that has no bearing on the general public, and, as described above, the findings of the informants are of more serious and broader concern. Furthermore this movement is also said to have resulted in more organizations putting in place stronger protections and mechanisms for employees who want to report illegal or questionable behavior.

Purpose of whistle blowing policy

                                                         Figure 1: purpose of whistle blowing policy

What are the Benefits of Whistleblowing?

Whistleblowers perform a valuable service to their organizations as well as the general public. Organizations can prevent reputation harm and perhaps large fines if concerns can be resolved internally before being made public in the press or on leak platforms.

Whistleblowers are feared for a variety of reasons.

Many illusions exist that make businesses, governments, and other organizations hesitant – or even afraid – to create a whistleblower system. Many people are concerned that whistleblowers would harm their reputations, or that their reporting channels may be utilized by disgruntled employees to make false charges. Having a well-functioning whistleblowing system reduces the number of complaints received from outside the organization. Because of the feedback received through internal channels, the organization operates very quickly.

Five myths about whistle blowing

• Whistleblowers are bad for reputation of organization
• Whistleblowers end up in court
• Employees anonymously send false reports about their coworkers via whistleblower systems
• Anyone who sets up a whistleblower system will receive a deluge of reports
• Whistleblowers should be concerned about retaliation

 

Basic Elements of a Whistleblower Policy

Why

Your organization requires a robust ethics policy or code of conduct before encouraging employees to speak up about ethical infractions. Your whistleblower policy should include the "why." There's no need for your staff to speak up if they don't know why.

What

If you want your employees to speak up, you must first tell them what they should speak up against. The majority of policies employ broad phrases such as fraud, waste, and criminal activities. These are acceptable, but you may want to be more particular depending on your sector.

Where

Your whistleblower policy also needs to contain information on where and how employees should lodge their complaints. This can range from informing their immediate supervisor to a third-party whistleblower hotline.

How does it work

                                                          Figure 2 :How does it work

Conclusion

Whistleblowing is very important for the well - being of the organization.  An efficient and effective Whistle blowing system is a great asset to the company.This gives employees the opportunity to report any wrongdoing to themselves and their organization as soon as possible.

It adds value to the employee and further strengthens the bond with the organization through the self-satisfaction they receive.

References

Anon., n.d. Define Whistleblower Meaning & Definition. What is Whistleblowing in Whistle Blowing Policy in Business. [Online]
Available at: https://www.hrhelpboard.com/hr-policies/whistle-blower-policy.htm
[Accessed 02 May 2022].

Homann, M., 2022. Defining Whistleblowing in the Workplace. [Online]
Available at: https://www.integrityline.com/expertise/blog/what-is-whistleblowing/
[Accessed 02 May 2022].

Jordan, G., 2014. Standard Elements of a Whistleblower Policy. [Online]
Available at: https://www.continentalmessage.com/blog/standard-elements-of-a-whistleblower-policy/
[Accessed 02 May 2022].