Whistleblower policies protect employees who report illegal or inappropriate conduct in the workplace. Policies should outline the complaint process, protect whistleblowers from threats, and may be strengthened by existing laws. Companies are not required to have policies, so it’s important to investigate before starting a new job.
Whistleblower policies are regulations designed to protect employees who report illegal or inappropriate conduct in the workplace to authorities. Because companies involved in illegal activities want to keep this information private, it is not uncommon to threaten, harass, or even terminate the position of a person who threatens to alert the authorities. Regional and federal laws can be patchy in enforcing whistleblower protections, making it important to establish whistleblower policies at individual organizations.
One of the most common whistleblower policies lays out the chain of command and process for filing a complaint. Generally, these policies explain whether a complaint needs to be verbal or written, to whom it should be addressed, and at what level of company management should begin resolution of the issue. If the issue is with a direct supervisor, it may be necessary to skip one authority level to find someone who actually resolves the issue, but in general it is important to follow the correct steps in the policy.
A common area that whistleblower policies cover includes behavior before a complaint is made. If a worker gains access to information about illegal activities or becomes aware of workplace violations, some people may try to intimidate or threaten the potential whistleblower into ignoring the situation. In addition to creating a situation of harassment, this forces the whistleblower to be an accomplice. Good whistleblower policies will not only provide employees with a forum to bring discrepancies to light, but will also protect against threats before a report is made. It is important to note that not all policies offer protection in this area, which means that it is generally best to report violations immediately, thereby gaining stronger protection from whistleblower laws.
Once a complaint is made, whistleblower policies are sometimes strengthened by existing laws. In the United States, the Sabarnes-Oxley Act of 2002 prohibits any retaliatory action against a whistleblower. If companies fail to protect their employees from internal harassment, the company itself could be subject to lawsuits. State laws across the country may provide additional protection. Internationally, whistleblower law is often narrowly defined and may lack protection codes.
Generally, companies are not required to have whistleblowing policies. When applying for a new job, it can be vitally important to investigate existing policies and read all material carefully. Many companies consider whistleblowers to be protecting company integrity and regulations, but this is far from universal.
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