Cultivating a whistleblower hotline culture cultivates integrity; it's not just about reporting, it's about reinforcing values.
If you value your integrity be prepared to take a beating from those who have none
In today's complex and interconnected world, the need for transparency and accountability within organisations has never been more critical. Whistleblower hotlines have emerged as powerful tools for promoting integrity, identifying misconduct, and ensuring ethical behaviour across a wide range of industries. These hotlines provide a secure and confidential channel for employees and stakeholders to report concerns, wrongdoing, or unethical practices. By facilitating the reporting of such issues, hotlines and helplines play a pivotal role in safeguarding the well-being and integrity of organisations, their employees, and the communities they serve.
Are you able to identify the level of fraud and corruption risk that your organisation is affected by and do you recognise the value of a whistleblower hotline where anonymity is enabled and measure its impact.
THE IMPORTANCE OF A WHISTLEBLOWER HOTLINE
It is recognised by several global reports that includes the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners where organisations introduce a hotline can in many cases be the best way of collecting data and receiving reports on fraud and corruption risk. To reach their conclusions 2,504 cases were reviewed from 125 countries and specific trends were identified:
Corruption was the most common scheme in every region globally
CFEs estimate that organisations lose 5% of revenue to fraud each year
Asset misappropriation are the most common schemes and least costly
43% of reports were received by tip and half of those tips came from employees
Whistleblower hotlines serve as a crucial bridge between employees and management, enabling the reporting of concerns without fear of retaliation. This assurance of anonymity encourages individuals to come forward with information that might otherwise remain hidden due to concerns about personal or professional repercussions. By giving employees a safe avenue to voice their concerns, organizations can detect and address problems early, preventing potentially disastrous consequences.
WHY ORGANISATIONS NEED A WHISTLEBLOWER HOTLINE
In today's fast-paced and complex business landscape, organisations face numerous challenges that can impact their operations, reputation, and ethical standing. Implementing a whistleblower hotline can address a range of concerns and provide a robust mechanism to foster transparency, accountability, and ethical behaviour. Here are the top 10 reasons why organizations need a whistleblower hotline:
Early detection of wrongdoing: A whistleblower hotline enables employees to report misconduct, fraud, or unethical behaviour as soon as they become aware of it. This early detection can prevent issues from escalating into larger problems that could harm the organization's reputation and financial stability.
Anonymity and protection: Whistleblower hotlines offer a confidential and anonymous reporting channel. This encourages employees to come forward without fear of retaliation, fostering an environment where concerns can be raised without compromising the individuals identity.
Prevention of retaliation: Retaliation against whistleblowers is a serious concern. A dedicated hotline provides a safer alternative for employees to report concerns, reducing the risk of negative consequences for those who choose to speak up.
Compliance with laws and regulations: Many industries are subject to regulations that require organisations to have a system for reporting unethical behaviour or compliance violations. A whistleblower hotline helps organisations fulfil these requirements and avoid potential legal penalties.
Safeguarding reputation: Maintaining a strong reputation is essential for long-term success. By addressing concerns internally through a whistleblower hotline, organisations can prevent damaging leaks and address issues before they become public knowledge.
Detection of systemic issues: Whistleblower hotlines can reveal patterns of misconduct that might otherwise go unnoticed. This proactive approach allows organisations to identify and address systemic issues that may be undermining their operations or ethical standards.
Employee morale and engagement: When employees see that their concerns are taken seriously, it boosts their morale and engagement. A whistleblower hotline demonstrates that the organisation values its employees' well-being and is committed to maintaining a healthy work environment.
Reduction in fraud and losses: By promptly addressing reported concerns, organisations can reduce instances of fraud or other financial crime or losses. Detecting and preventing such issues can lead to significant cost savings in the long run.
Internal conflict resolution: Whistleblower hotlines provide a formalised process for resolving internal conflicts and disputes. Employees can report issues related to harassment, discrimination, or conflicts of interest, allowing for timely intervention and resolution.
Cultivation of ethical culture: Implementing a whistleblower hotline sends a clear message that ethical behaviour is a priority. It fosters a culture of integrity, accountability, and transparency, which can positively impact the behaviour of all employees.
HOTLINES AND ETHICAL CULTURE
When measuring the performance of an anti-corruption culture or ethical standards, two questions can be asked of staff to determine whether its staff, management and leadership are aligned with its values statement and cultural approach.
Firstly, are staff comfortable in discussing anti-corruption openly and would they feel safe in reporting corruption or other ethical issues to their line management. If the answer is no in either of these cases, then its culture may not be aligned with its values statement. In this situation an organisation is unlikely to know the levels of procurement fraud, corruption and level of financial losses that it is impacted by.
DATA COLLECTION AND RISK ASSESSMENT
Building an accurate risk assessment requires the ability to identify and collect available internal and external information and the Report to the Nations by ACFE clearly outlines the benefit of introducing a whistleblower hotline. These whistleblower tips not only identify areas of risk but allow for an organisation to assess its risk picture.
In its 2018 Ethics & Compliance Hotline and Incident Management Benchmark Report, Navex Global analysis of nearly 2,479 hotline and incident management customers revealed key data points:
The overall report volume remained at the highest level recorded to date at the median of 1.4 reports per 100 employees.
The substantiation rate of all cases increased by 10 percent to 44% the highest level recorded.
The substantiation rate for anonymous reports increased to 39%.
Maturing ethics and compliance programmes mean more employees recognise the need to report issues, and know how to do so.
A steady decrease in the rate of anonymous reports from the 2009 peak rate of 65 percent. This reduction is reported as an indicator of trust in the system and the people who manage it.
COMPLIANCE PROGRAMME
As part of any compliance programme and testing of systems and control measures, compliance with policies and procedures, introducing a whistleblower hotline not only adds to the compliance culture but can help compliance teams target specific audits or reviews in the area of risk that has been reported.
An organisation that has introduced a risk identification and mitigation framework for fraud and corruption can evaluate its impact where new allegations or suspicions are received. What is the
CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROTECTION
However, in many countries whistleblower law and protection is inadequate or inconsistent and doesn't effectively protect individuals that make reports of suspicious activity in good faith. Building an anti-fraud and corruption culture that incorporates staff, suppliers and third parties creates an opportunity to collect additional information that would otherwise not be reported.
A hotline is not merely a tool; it's a testament to an organisation's commitment to confronting challenges head-on and embracing growth
Creating an environment where individuals that wish to report suspected criminal conduct or breaches of organisation policy, they are clear about the integrity of an organisation, that they will deal correctly with reports made, that their personal data is secure and that their identify where requested is kept secret can in many circumstances be a difficult hurdle for whistleblowers to accept and overcome. This may be more relevant where past experience has reinforced this belief.
Anonymous whistleblowing
So how do we increase the opportunity to receive reports, that can be a challenge even when an organisation has a strong ethics culture. In areas, for example, where an organisation recruits from a local community and its supply chain is also served by local business, can an environment of conflicts of interest, corruption or collusion develop. If an individual were to report criminal behaviour what would the consequences be and could their anonymity be protected.
There are many examples of where active attempts have been made by leadership within an organisation to identify a whistleblower with the intention of discrediting or to retaliate against the individual.
Conclusion
It is recognised that anonymous reports can be more difficult to investigate, however, what is clear from the Navex Global report is that although the number of anonymous reports are decreasing the substantiation rate for these reports has increased. Thus, the benefits of having an anonymous whistleblower facility is a valuable tool that supports an organisations ability to profile its risk.
Does your organisation promote anonymous reporting or is it something that is frowned upon?
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