Ensuring Your Whistleblowing Policy Protects Employees

Are you unsure how to handle whistleblowing in the workplace? This article could help…

With whistleblowing prevalent in the news lately, companies are doing more to ensure their employees feel secure in the workplace, regardless of the circumstances.

There are a number of procedures and services an organisation can put into place to ensure that whistleblowers are protected and treated fairly in the event of a misconduct report.

Here are a few ways in which the workplace can offer protection to whistleblowers.

What is a whistleblowing?

Whistleblowing in the workplace occurs when an employee reports the misconduct or wrongdoing of a colleague or manager. This can take place for a number of reasons but should always result in the same procedures.

Whistleblowers have a law in place to protect them from being wrongly treated or fired once they’ve reported misconduct. The UK government states that if an employee is treated unfairly, they can receive advice and support from the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas), but organisations have a responsibility to put procedures in place to support members of the workforce internally.

What can organisations do?

Offering internal support to whistleblowers helps to promote staff wellbeing and trust amongst employees and employers. There are a few measures that organisations can take to ensure that whistleblowing in the workplace is not punished, and is instead, encouraged when necessary.

Companies should consider introducing counselling sessions for their employees, this would ensure that support and advice is available in the workplace for those who are experiencing difficult situations at work. This can help to protect mental wellbeing by providing them with an impartial, qualified person to talk to.

It’s also crucial that every employee understands that any information given when the whistle is blown is completely confidential. This is done so they are not at risk of any backlash from other members of the team and will be supported throughout the process.

Is there external support available?

Some organisations may not have the time or resources to create their own, internal support for whistleblowing in the workplace. Luckily, there are external support systems which can help you to offer protection to whistleblowers.

Whistleblowing support is an anonymous service which protects employees and allows organisations to deal with the situation confidently and efficiently.

Making use of this service will let employees know that, when used correctly, there will be no repercussions and that there is a professional procedure in place for handling issues when raised. This type of whistleblower protection provides 24/7 support, 365 days a year, with independent, impartial and non-judgemental advice.

Providing employees with support and advice if they choose to blow the whistle is crucial to promoting employee wellbeing in any organisation. External support and internal programs are a great way to ensure all members of the team feel valued and safe while at work.