Blowing the Whistle: What does it mean?
Whistleblowing is the act of reporting unethical or illegal behaviour within an organisation. It is often done by employees who have witnessed wrongdoing and feel compelled to bring it to light. Whistleblowing can be a difficult decision for employees to make, as there may be fear of retaliation or damage to their reputation. However, it is an important tool in maintaining ethical standards and preventing fraud and misconduct.
There are several reasons why whistleblowing occurs, we list three here:
1) The first reason could be when an employee witnesses behaviour that is illegal or unethical. Examples of this could be embezzlement, fraud, or discrimination.
2) Another reason is when an employee witnesses an act of bribery from another person in the company, or if someone attempts to bribe them.
3) The last reason is when an employee is asked to participate in behaviour that they believe is unethical or illegal. In these cases, the employee may feel that they have no choice but to report the behaviour.
Whistleblowing has important ethical implications. On one hand, it is important for employees to report unethical or illegal behaviour in order to protect the organisation and its stakeholders. However, whistleblowing can also damage the reputation of the organisation and the individuals involved. It is important for organisations to have clear policies in place to protect whistleblowers from retaliation and to ensure that they are not punished for reporting wrongdoing.
Managing staff who blow the whistle can be challenging for organisations. It is important for managers to create a culture where employees feel comfortable reporting wrongdoing and are protected from retaliation. This can be done by providing training on whistleblowing policies and procedures, ensuring that employees have multiple channels for reporting concerns and protecting whistleblowers from retaliation.
There are a number of policies and laws that protect whistleblowers. Whistleblowers are protected under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, which means they receive protection against unfair dismissal as a result of blowing the whistle and are protected against being mistreated as a result of blowing the whistle, including reduced hours, bullying, harassment and refusal of training.
Whistleblowing is important for maintaining ethical standards and preventing fraud and misconduct in organisations. While it can be a difficult decision for employees to make, it is important for organisations to have clear policies in place to protect whistleblowers from retaliation and to ensure that they are not punished for reporting wrongdoing. By creating a culture where employees feel comfortable reporting concerns, organisations can promote ethical behaviour and protect their stakeholders.
How can we help?
Maguire Training offers our new course "Whistleblowing: The Ethics and Implications" to help your teams and managers understand whistleblowing, made bespoke to your company's policies and procedures to ensure teams not only understand the laws across the UK, but your company legislation.
Register for our free event on LinkedIn “Blowing the Whistle: Exploring the Ethics and Implications” on Monday 26th February for a brief and general introduction to this topic.
Get in touch to build a training programme that works for you and your team. We offer face-to-face, virtual, online and hybrid training so it suits all members of your team. Contact us using the form below or call on 01623 810505
