World Whistleblowers Day Reflections

World Whistleblowers Day, June 23 2022 | Reflections

By Tim Smith, Operations Director - Safecall

5 minute read

World Whistleblowers Day, on the 23rd June 2022, is an opportunity to celebrate those individuals who have bravely spoken up about a wide variety of workplace issues, and also those organisations that have embraced and promoted the concept of whistleblowing and speaking out… in essence, providing the channels for these important voices to be heard.

The benefits of whistleblowing to wider society and the public interest of these whistleblowers being heard are obvious but it can sometimes be forgotten how much courage it can take for individuals to come forward and be speak up.

Existing whistleblowing legislation and the recent European Whistleblowing Directive provide a legislative driver to enable whistleblowing channels but there are, just as importantly, many other positive outcomes from implementing an open, transparent, anonymous and effective management system for reporting concerns.

The world has changed.

Employees, investors and other stakeholders increasingly want to see that businesses are demonstrably managed in an ethical and sustainable way and one of the ways to do this is to give staff a voice that can be heard.

Not only does this voice need to be heard, but the owner of the voice needs to know that having spoken up there are investigation systems and processes in place to handle their concerns appropriately and to shield them from fear of retribution.

This fear of retribution is a regularly aired concern for whistleblowers reporting via Safecall.

Real or perceived this perception can only be overcome by operating a robust whistleblowing policy that not only embraces the concept of protection but also champions those who use it.

A more open, transparent and effective whistleblowing policy will not only satisfy your investors but will make your workplaces safer, more welcoming and attractive to both current and future employees reducing staff turnover and minimising associated recruitment costs.

In effect, what I am really saying is that having a whistleblowing policy is sometimes legally required, but is also ethically sound and good for business.

There are numerous examples of how whistleblowers have changed the world for good, but I also see daily examples of the negative consequences of not having a robust whistleblowing process in the news.

You would be amazed how many times I think ‘I’ll bet that company wish they had heard about that issue at an early stage when they could have done something about it!‘

So, on World Whistleblowers Day this year, spare a thought for your employees.

If you already have a whistleblowing reporting hotline in place, then fantastic… you are leading the way in ethical reporting of wrongdoing and also helping to futureproof your business reputation against any scandal.

If you haven’t any reporting system in place, then give your staff the opportunity to let you know what is happening in your organisation and celebrate them when they do so.

About Safecall Ltd

Safecall is an outsourced whistleblowing hotline provider to businesses and organisations around the world.

For over 20 years we have been providing a specialist and independent service that helps to protect business and keep employees safe.

We have a people first ethos, with all our call handlers having first-hand experience of the issues reported. We pride ourselves on our style, which is conversational and empathic.  None of our calls are scripted and we are experts at taking high quality reports. 

Safecall operates from a UK call centre, 24 hours a day, 7 days per week all year round.  Serving businesses in the UK, Europe and over 150 countries around the globe, conversing in over 170 different languages.

We help businesses and organisations who want to tackle a variety of whistleblowing issues including potential racism, sexism, fraud, discrimination, bribery, health and safety violations, modern slavery, bullying, and violence in the workplace.  

We also offer highly skilled investigations training and bespoke support that utilises our expertise.

We are proud to be a Law Debenture company.  Law Debenture was founded in 1889 and is listed on the London Stock Exchange.  It is recognised globally for its expertise in longstanding investment trusts and is a leading provider of independent governance and transactional support services. Clients include large corporates, law firms, banks or funds, private equity, SMEs, hedge funds, start-ups, and private clients.