It’s time to do away with the idea that whistleblowers are trouble for their employers. Recent research indicates that whistleblowers provide the management of the firms where they work with information that enables managers to act quickly to address potential issues before they become significant problems. Contrary to what you might think about what happens when an employee uses a whistleblower hotline to report a concern, many managers not only take whistleblower reports seriously, they use the information provided in the reports to address issues that require attention. In many cases, a whistleblower report is the first information a manager receives regarding a potential problem. Whistleblowers help managers to be proactive in identifying and remedying issues that have the potential to turn into bigger problems if left unaddressed.
Firms that have more whistleblower reports report having fewer lawsuits and fewer fines than companies who receive fewer reports. There are a couple of potential reasons behind this outcome. The first is that as was mentioned earlier in this article, whistleblower reports give management valuable opportunities to address potential problems. The second possible reason firms with more whistleblower reports encounter fewer lawsuits than firms with fewer reports is that the number of whistleblower reports received by a company speaks to the corporate culture of the firm. Firms with more reports encourage employees to provide feedback to management and demonstrate that management values the feedback they receive. Conversely, firms who receive fewer reports may have a whistleblower hotline available to employees, but that does not mean that the employees feel comfortable using it or that they feel as though the information they share will be taken seriously.
Managers can move towards creating a corporate culture where employees feel comfortable making whistleblower reports by seeking to use the reports that are received proactively and by refraining from retaliating against employees who make reports. As the number of reports increases, management must ensure that enough staff is available to investigate and respond to the reports ina timely manner. Doing so helps managers receive information in a timely way, and demonstrates that employee feedback is welcome, valued, and taken seriously.
When reports come in, individuals who work to investigate them must not be quick to dismiss reports that contain little information or that provide secondhand rather than first-hand knowledge. Individuals who make whistleblower reports do not always include a great deal of detail in the report. However, when statements are not made anonymously and investigating staff follows up on reports with the people who made them, those individuals often provide much more information than they did in their initial report. Interestingly enough, secondhand information supplied in a whistleblower report is often the only way that employees who are engaging in misconduct like stealing are identified and caught. That is another reason why it is necessary to have staff available to investigate whistleblower reports is adequate to ensure the prompt and thorough review of all complaints received.
Whistleblowers help management run their firms effectively. Unfortunately, not every company has taken a proactive approach to internal whistleblowing. If you have experienced retaliation at work after reporting a concern, a whistleblower protection attorney may be able to help you. To learn more, call the Mississippi Whistleblower Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC today at 1 (800) 707-9577 to set up an initial consultation.