What is a Whistleblower Policy?
A whistleblower policy is a set of guidelines and key principles that allow and encourage employees to report any illegal or unethical behavior within an organization. A whistleblower policy aims to create a culture of integrity and accountability within an organization, where employees feel comfortable coming forward with reports of wrongdoing.
What is the Purpose of a Whistleblower Policy?
The purpose of a whistleblower policy is to encourage employees to report any illegal or unethical behavior they witness at work. The policy is to prevent and detect fraud, waste, and abuse and protect the organization and its employees. When employees witness something illegal or unethical happening at work, they may be reluctant to speak up for fear of retaliation. A whistleblower policy can help to alleviate these fears by outlining the procedures for reporting misconduct and the protections that are in place for employees who come forward.
How to Create a Whistleblower Policy
When creating a whistleblower policy several key elements should be encompassed in the policy, these elements include:
- Discrimination, bullying, and sexual, physical and/or psychological harassment as defined in anti-discrimination policies.
- The identification of fraudulent activities, such as theft, benefits fraud, bribery, misuse of funds, misrepresentation of funds and any other aspects of fraud as defined by law.
- Ethical concerns such as nepotism, conflict of interest, corruption, retaliation or retribution against parties who report concerns and abuse of power.
- Compliance breaches with relevant laws, regulations and the business reporting requirements of the organization.
- Any other misconduct that endangers or threatens other parties.
- Whistleblower protection for a report to the Department of Labor.
- The violation of policies, concealment of a violation of the policy or any other policy.
Who Needs a Whistleblower Policy?
There are many reasons why a company with ethical ambitions would want to have a whistleblower policy in place. For one, it shows that the company is committed to ethical practices. It also gives employees a way to report misconduct without fear of retaliation. A whistleblower policy can be a helpful tool in preventing and addressing misconduct. However, it should be noted that it will not necessarily cure all misconduct issues. An ethical company should also have other policies and procedures in place to address misconduct.
Why Choose to Buy this Whistleblower Policy Template
This 1-page policy can provide you with a well-written document that qualifies misconduct and the actions to take to address it. The policy defines what employees need to know so they can report misconduct without fear of retaliation.
After purchasing this template you will be able to:
- Very easily edit and customize the template to create your own whistleblower policy.
- Apply your own style, format and brand to the policy.
- Use it in any industry or sector regardless of size or type of organization.
Availability and Use of this Whistleblower Policy
- This policy template is accessible to you right now by clicking the ‘Buy Now’ button.
- The policy will be delivered to you in fully editable Microsoft Word format for immediate and full use in your business.
- There are no subscriptions, contracts or ongoing costs.
