Key Factors in Building, Managing Successful Whistleblower Programs

Are you interested in developing a strong whistleblower program for your business? If so, there are some key elements you’ll want to include to make sure it is both effective and easily understood by all employees.

The following are a few of the key factors in building and managing a successful whistleblower program:

• Accessibility. The program you develop must be easily accessible to all employees through a variety of channels. It should never be too difficult for an employee to submit a whistleblower tip to the proper authorities, including upper management.
• Consistency in tone. Management within the company must set a clear, strong and consistent tone in terms of what is expected out of all employees. There should be a company culture that encourages people to come forward and report incidents of wrongdoing.
• Strong support network. Part of developing a company culture encouraging whistleblowers to come forward is making sure there’s a strong support network available. Whistleblowers are often worried about the repercussions of reporting wrongdoing, but organizations should do everything they can to ensure their peers and their superiors in and out of the workplace support them.
• Widespread awareness. Everyone within the company should be aware of the program and how it works. It should be strongly connected to the organization’s code of ethics, there should be regular reminders of the program and there should be no issues with communication between executives and employees.

For further guidance on how to establish a strong whistleblower support system, consult experienced Dallas attorney Steve Kardell at Whistleblower Law for Managers today.