Topic Guide: Whistleblowing

Issues which may cause employers to show resistance to establishing or running whistleblowing mechanisms typically include the costs of designing and running a whistleblowing mechanism and the risk of fictitious or trivial complaints.[1] However, research has shown that an avalanche of frivolous complaints is unlikely,[2] and if this occurs it can be taken as an indication that the whistleblowing mechanism should be revisited and updated so that its purpose is more clearly understood. Similarly, organisations can mitigate the risk of knowingly false complaints through measures such as appropriate and clearly outlined disciplinary sanctions, strict adherence to confidentiality (particularly to avoid harm to the person against whom a fictitious complaint is raised) and thorough investigation. Ultimately, organisations should consider that “one single, well-founded concern over a period of several years can more than justify the modest expense that whistleblowing arrangements incur.”[3]