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Whistle-Blowing: Ethics and Protections

The document discusses whistleblowing, which is when an employee reports corporate misconduct. It describes internal whistleblowing, which involves reporting issues up the company's chain of command, and external whistleblowing, which involves reporting to outside groups like law enforcement. While whistleblowers aim to expose wrongdoing, they are often seen as disloyal. Whistleblowing is ethical when it prevents harm to the public or involves serious threats, as long as the employee has evidence and valid reasons to believe going public is needed. The document also discusses laws protecting whistleblowers and best practices for companies to address whistleblower concerns.

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79 views10 pages

Whistle-Blowing: Ethics and Protections

The document discusses whistleblowing, which is when an employee reports corporate misconduct. It describes internal whistleblowing, which involves reporting issues up the company's chain of command, and external whistleblowing, which involves reporting to outside groups like law enforcement. While whistleblowers aim to expose wrongdoing, they are often seen as disloyal. Whistleblowing is ethical when it prevents harm to the public or involves serious threats, as long as the employee has evidence and valid reasons to believe going public is needed. The document also discusses laws protecting whistleblowers and best practices for companies to address whistleblower concerns.

Uploaded by

da_reaper_das
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Blowing the

Whistle
What is Whistle-Blowing?
Whistleblower

• Employee who discovers corporate misconduct and chooses to


bring it to the attention of others

Internal whistle-blowing

• Employee discovering corporate misconduct and bringing it to the


attention of his or her supervisor, who then follows established
procedures to address the misconduct within the organization

External whistle-blowing

• When an employee discovers corporate misconduct and chooses


to bring it to the attention of law enforcement agencies and/or
the media

7-2
Ethics of Whistle-Blowing
• In contrast to whistle-blowers being brave and
praiseworthy, they are considered to:
• Be motivated by money or personal egos
• Have breached he trust and loyalty they owe to
their employers

7-3
When is Whistle-Blowing Ethical?
• When the company, through a product or
decision, will cause considerable harm to the
public or break existing laws
• When the employee identifies a serious threat
of harm
• When the employee’s immediate supervisor
does not act, the employee should exhaust the
internal procedures and chain of command to
the board of directors
7-4
When is Whistle-Blowing Ethical?
• Employee must have documented evidence
that:
• His or her view of the situation is accurate
• The firm’s practice, product or policy threatens the
public or product user
• Employee must have valid reasons to believe
that revealing the wrongdoing to the public will
result in the changes necessary to remedy the
situation

7-5
When is Whistle-Blowing
Unethical?
• Motivation is the opportunity for financial gain
or media attention
• Employee is carrying out a vendetta against the
company

7-6
The Duty to Respond
• Responding to whistle-blowers means
addressing their concerns and not firing them

7-7
The Whistleblower Protection Act
• Addressed the issue of retaliation against
federal employees
• Imposed specific processing deadlines of
complaints
• Guaranteed anonymity of the whistle-blower
• Required prompt payment of any portion of the
settlement entitled to the whistle-blower

7-8
Addressing the Needs of Whistle-
Blowers
• Well-defined process to document how such
complaints are handled
• Whistle-blower hotline: Telephone line by
which employees can leave messages to alert a
company of suspected misconduct without
revealing their identity
• Prompt and thorough investigation of all
complaints
• Detailed report of all investigations
7-9
Whistle Blowing As a Last Resort
• Unceasing media attention and the terminal
damage should be considered a catalyst for the
organization to take remedial steps
• Unfortunately executives prefer to:
• Bury the information
• Discredit the evidence
• Tie their employees in restrictive confidentiality
agreements

7-10

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