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Develop a Corporate Culture that values Whistleblowing

Two key findings of the KPMG 2008 Fraud Survey were that fraud was usually detected by a workplace colleague, but almost 12 months after it started. In these cases the average fraud was $1.5 million.

By the time an employee blows the whistle to an external entity, considerable damage has invariably already occurred.

Companies benefit when its leaders create a corporate culture that encourages early reporting of wrongdoing by implementing appropriate internal reporting mechanisms supported by an external independent whistleblower service.

Leaders can institute strong anti-fraud controls and appropriate behaviour standards by encouraging the development of a corporate culture in which employees view whistleblowing as a valuable contribution to a vibrant workplace and an asset to their future.

To this end, reporting mechanisms must demonstrate confidentiality and anonymity so potential whistleblowers are assured that their concerns will be properly considered and that they will not be subjected to retribution from a corporate culture that frowns on whistleblowing.

Successful whistleblowing policies require strong leadership from the audit committee, directors, officers and management.

Corporate culture refers not only to the working environment and the attitudes and behaviours of individuals, but also to the wider corporate environment including the behaviours displayed by key decision-makers.

Whistleblowers are an organisation´s best defence against corporate fraud. It is in the financial and ethical interest of leaders to actively develop a corporate culture that protects, encourages and simplifies whistleblowing.

Australian organisations suffer from a corporate culture centred around the idea of “mateship”.

Mateship is a defining characteristic of Australian culture and it is widely regarded as a positive national attribute. But in corporate cultures, mateship is often analogous to networks where secrecy replaces openness, unfairness replaces fairness, and merit gives way to mateship when it comes to promotion, contracting and acceptance.

Such a deep-rooted ideology can make it difficult for leaders to instil a corporate culture that values whistleblowing. Therefore, it is imperative that whistleblowers be protected and encouraged by a secure, confidential and easily accessible whistleblowing program.

Your-Call has been successful in assisting organisations to tailor whistleblower packages that best suit their people and their corporate culture. It has created accessible, user-friendly feedback systems with its Your-Alert and Your-Say services for organisations to unearth concerns in 4 key areas: dishonesty, behavioural, regulation (e.g. bullying and harassment ) and safety. It enables feedback about staff dissatisfaction and may uncover valuable operational and management suggestions from all levels of the organisation.

Employees can choose whether it be at home, an internet cafe or a public library, to submit their information online confidentially and anonymously.

These systems sit alongside the organisation´s Code of Conduct promoting honesty, integrity and transparency but don´t replace existing processes for raising concerns in the workplace. They complement these reporting mechanisms by providing an external reporting option to an organisation´s whistleblower policy.

Your-Call treats every disclosure with urgency, ensuring timely and successful transmission of every disclosure and notifying you immediately of crisis situations.

Your-Call’s “iAnalysis” Case Management module allows companies to create a seamless workflow when documenting, investigating and resolving disclosures (whistleblower complaints) of illegal or unethical behaviour or feedback. From the initial disclosure to resolution, the company can document activities in a convenient, centralised system that helps you ensure disclosures and information are resolved effectively, efficiently and appropriately.

Get Started?

If you want to implement an effective employee reporting or whistleblowing service where the integrity and transparency of the organization and its precious asset, the brand is protected. Click here to email us and download our FREE “˜The Ultimate Whistleblowing Checklist´ on how to establish a best practice whistle blowing program, or call 1300 788 712 to discuss how Your-Call can benefit your organization and the corporate culture so fundamental to your success.