Whistleblower Hotline: What it is and how they are used

What is a Whistleblower Hotline?

A whistleblower hotline is a service or program that helps employees report malpractice within their company or industry. Whistleblowing is when an employee reports or reveals information about activity within a private or public organization that is deemed illegal, immoral, illicit, unsafe or fraudulent. Companies  set up whistleblower hotlines to help protect themselves legally and to give their employees an internal way to report findings. Whistleblower hotlines also give the employee the option to submit a case report with their name or to remain anonymous. 

Key Takeaways

• Whistleblower hotlines are services that help employees to report malpractice

• Whistleblower hotlines can help protect a company legally and promote risk mitigation

• Whistleblowers can report with their name or anonymously

• Whistleblower hotlines give employees a way to report internally without having to go directly to regulatory bodies

Risk Mitigation and Whistleblower Hotlines

Whistleblower hotlines can be an important tool when it comes to risk mitigation. By giving employees this avenue of reporting, whistleblower hotlines can help companies to encourage early reporting of potential problems and risks. Staying on top of risks and potential compliance issues can help prevent smaller risks from turning into larger ones. In this way whistleblower hotlines can serve as a proactive tool for risk mitigation and risk management. 

Impacts of Whistleblowing When Company Action Isn’t Taken

Whistleblower hotlines give employees a way to report malpractice internally instead of going straight to regulatory bodies. What happens though when the company doesn’t make changes or hesitates to self report? Failure to take action or investigate reports submitted via whistleblowing hotlines could mean that the whistleblower feels forced to instead go to external regulatory bodies to report the case. This is why it’s important that companies have investigative procedures for case reports sourced from whistleblowing hotlines and how business continuity planning can also be relevant in some cases.

Conclusion

In short, whistleblower hotlines are an internal means of reporting that whistleblowers can use to report malpractice within their company or industry. Whistleblower hotlines are an important tool that companies can use to protect themselves legally and to help with risk mitigation and management. Having clear procedures in place for when malpractice is reported is important to ensure that proper investigation and reporting takes place in order to remain compliant.