How can organizations protect a whistleblower? This question arises whenever a reporting hotline is created to help fight corruption. As long as corruption exists, people need a way to report it, yet many fear retaliation from their organization or public authorities.
Whistleblowers and the ethics hotline
A whistleblower is the person who reports suspected wrongdoing. Protecting that person involves anonymity and confidentiality where appropriate, as well as laws and policies that give them confidence to speak up.
The following points look at legal considerations that support the use of reporting channels.
How to protect a whistleblower?
International instruments that seek to protect whistleblowers include the United Nations Convention against Corruption, the Inter-American Convention against Corruption, and various OECD measures.
The article notes gaps in whistleblower protection, including a lack of effective safeguards, insufficient follow-up by the parties involved, and obstacles for investigators when protective conditions are inadequate.
In its discussion of the Americas, the original article identifies the United States and Canada as countries with specific whistleblower laws, while describing more limited protections in Mexico and parts of Central and South America. These historical comparisons should not be taken as a current legal inventory.
For Europe, the original article lists Belgium, France, Norway, Romania, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom as having specific protections at the time it was written; it says other countries had only proposals or no specific laws. This, too, is a historical description rather than current legal guidance.
Supporting good practices
At EthicsGlobal, we support stronger whistleblower protections around the world. A preventive approach and transparent practices can make reporting channels more effective. If you still wonder how to protect a whistleblower, follow us on social media: Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.