A whistleblowing platform lets you engage anonymously with your employees so they can speak up when they encounter wrongdoing in the workplace. Providing compliance with local legislation – and a window into the ethical condition of your company – a whistleblowing platform is a crucial part of your overall risk and compliance programme.
So what are the ‘must have’ features of an effective whistleblowing platform?
1. Independence
Unethical behaviour costs companies millions of dollars each year, but organisations with an independent ethical reporting facility cut fraud in half.
A third-party whistleblower hotline lets employees speak up without fear when they encounter wrongdoing in the workplace.
There’s much evidence showing how effective third party ethics hotlines are at curbing inappropriate workplace behaviours. Research also shows employees are more likely to report unethical behaviour via an independent and confidential service.
Staffed by an external, impartial third-party, Report It Now® gives employees multiple ways to report misconduct as it is witnessed. Operating independently from your internal processes, Report It Now empowers employees to report suspected wrongdoing for the benefit of your business.
2. Accessibility
Research shows that having multiple channels by which employees can report their ethical concerns (think web-based platforms, email and phone) helps businesses create safer work environments, speeds up detection of unethical behaviours and minimises losses from fraud.
In today’s on-demand world, organisation’s should offer employees multi-channel methods of reporting including website, email, fax, post, telephone. The telephone hotline is the traditional method, but web portals and email should also be available, so that employees can speak up when, where and how they prefer to.
Report It Now’s enterprise case management system EthicsPro® is a multi-channel reporting solution that offers choice and accessibility for secure disclosures and can be used from a wide variety of devices including phones, tablets and computers. Increasing accessibility, EthicsPro® also includes multiple language options. Click here to learn more.
3. Clear processes
When a report is made, what happens next matters. EthicsPro® is process driven software, and keeps all interested parties informed at each step of the case.
When a report is via the telephone hotline, one of RIN’s Protected Disclosure Officers supports the submitter and gathers details of the complaint. Passing on the details of the call to an authorised party in your organisation, every detail of the case is logged as internal and external teams work through the case.
EthicsPro® enables anonymous reporting functionality and confidential dialogue between employee(s) and employer(s) throughout the entire process. Providing clear, open and comfortable communication for all parties involved, EthicsPro® can be modified to meet any specific client need.
4. Support
Ensuring that the principles of honesty, integrity and fairness are adhered to in the day-to-day running of a business is not a matter of ‘set it and forget it’.
Rather, to create and maintain an organisation free from unethical behaviour, consistent and ongoing training in ethics and compliance is a must. Research shows that businesses are 56% more likely to gather tips if organisations implement fraud awareness training.
Report It Now combines a reporting hotline with education, support, and ongoing analysis to help you achieve an ethical environment for your employees, while at the same time, encouraging them to report any misconduct in an anonymous, secure and confidential manner.
The EthicsPro® whistleblowing platform
EthicsPro® is a secure, intuitive, enterprise-grade whistleblowing platform that lets your employees speak up when they need to.
The EthicsPro® platform offers:
- Automated reporting and benchmarking
- Software backed up by humans – easy to contact 365 / 24 / 7
- Multiple language options
- Device agnostic/device flexibility – compatibility across but not limited to Desktop, Tablets and Mobile
- Bespoke/tailored reporting forms – customised for each client plus, individual dual-branded landing pages
- Process driven software – keeping everyone informed at each step of the case
Organisations that foster a workplace culture of transparency, aided by a whistleblowing platform such as EthicsPro®, will have a higher success rate of preventing the effects of dishonest behaviour than organisations which don’t.
Support honesty and integrity in your organisation with independent, confidential, and professional whistle-blower services for enterprise. Get in touch.