Whistleblower Policies You Should Know

Congratulations—it takes a lot of courage to do what you’ve committed to, especially in an age where it’s just so much easier to look the other way or take the path of least resistance. But before you blow the whistle on something you know to be wrong, there are policies you need to know first, so that you and everyone involved can start doing what is right.

What exactly is a whistleblower policy?

In the first place, hopefully your organization (or the one you’re going to blow the whistle on) has a whistleblower policy in place. Finding out whether it does and what it is (discreetly) is one of the first things you should do.

Very simply, a whistleblower policy is the stand or course of action the organization plans to take in case someone comes forward to bring hitherto hidden wrongdoing to light. The best organizations take a stance of transparency that encourages team members to blow the whistle if the situation calls for it.

That said, some measures that such organizations have in their policies include protections for whistleblowers such as not revealing their identities or not firing or demoting them for making their disclosure. The policies would also detail how the organization plans on righting the wrong and to keep it from happening again, if possible.

Why must you know these whistleblower policies?

Couldn’t you just step forward and spill the beans and get it over with? Well, doing the right thing also involves doing it in the right way—which can also go a long way toward making sure that blowing the whistle achieves the right results (i.e., justice being done).

Knowing these whistleblower policies also helps you keep the fallout of your disclosure to a minimum. More often than not, blowing the whistle comes with a lot of repercussions, the impact of which can be far greater when whistleblowers don’t know, for instance, that company policy states that they must be protected from retaliation.

What are examples of specific whistleblower policies you need to know?

Just as there are different whistleblower laws in all the different states, there isn’t a single, set-in-stone, all-encompassing whistleblower policy for organizations, whether they’re enterprises, schools, or what have you. But there are similar policies between organizations that are likely to apply in your case and that may be handy for you to be aware of.

• Who counts as a whistleblower in the first place under the policy, which may not be limited to just employees (past or present) but may also include partners, suppliers, or even customers.
• What counts as the kind of wrongdoing you can report should be clearly spelled out in the policy, such as stealing or fraud, bullying or harassment. 
• You can make a report or a disclosure in good faith to the right authorities—the specific policy should tell you who those are; if not, talk to a whistleblower lawyer Mike Bothwell, about who you should give your report to.
• How to make your report or disclosure also needs to be clearly defined, whether that’s through an email or online, and absolutely everyone who counts as a whistleblower needs to know about it.
• If your organization has non-disclosure agreements, these agreements can’t stop you from blowing the whistle on them to government authorities (if the situation demands).
• Any whistleblower policy has to make it clear that your rights as a whistleblower —such as your right to confidentiality, to make a protected disclosure, and to not take part in illegal activities—will be upheld.
• Many policies also include whether the organization has recourse to an outside or third party to look into the details of the disclosure, and how you (the whistleblower) will be able to keep tabs on the progress of the investigation.

Your organization’s whistleblower policies should be readily accessible and easy to understand, but if they aren’t, or if circumstances make it difficult for you to find out discreetly, visit Bothwell Lawyer Group to find the help you need.