Why do you need a Whistleblowing Policy?
Various legislatives acts across the world require employers to have a whistleblower policy in place. Whether it is for regulatory compliance or otherwise, there are lots of benefits to having a stringent and effective whistleblowing system implemented for your business.
Implement a Whistleblowing Policy
Implementing a clear whistleblowing policy encourages a culture where concerns are raised early. This makes it easier for employers to address concerns and potentially prevent serious wrongdoing and reputational damage before being reported to regulatory bodies or the press. Having a clear whistle blower policy template is a good place to start.
Raise Concerns
Employees that are looking to raise concerns are often concerned about retaliation, either from the subject of the report or the organisation itself. Laying out the arrangements clearly in a dedicated whistle blower policy reassures employees that the organisation welcomes their concerns. The reporting person can be confident that the organisation has procedures to handle concerns raised confidentially and most importantly that they will be protected and supported.
Outline Types of Concern
A good whistleblowing policy will clearly outline the types of concerns which should be raised, how to raise them and what to expect once concerns have been raised. This encourages employees to raise concerns with confidence.
Promoting and Publicising
Promoting and publicising your policy is essential. Advice from government, regulators and agencies offering sector certification is to encourage employees to raise concerns, and to make it easy and safe for colleagues to do just that. A key part of this is ensuring that your policy is well publicised and easily accessible to the whole of your workforce.