The role of whistleblowers and examples of their disclosures feature constantly in media headlines. Just in the days preceding this article, we read about:

Important as whistleblowers are, and so often reported on, there are many inaccurate representations of what they do and why.

The origins of the term ‘whistleblower’ is apocryphal; some say it originates from the practice of police officers in Victorian times blowing their whistles in the direction of other constables to alert them to an incident. Whatever its origins, and however it is described (whistleblowing, speaking-up, public interest disclosure) it is a difficult thing to do because it often exposes those making disclosures to personal and professional hardship and sometimes worse – “snitches get stitches”.

At the core of whistleblowing is the discloser’s reasonable belief that a serious issue like a crime or a cover-up of malpractice has occurred, is occurring, or will occur, and it is in the public interest to address the harm. The reporting person must be an employee (or worker in some circumstances) making a disclosure about the organisation they work for. Employees and workers are often very well placed to identify wrongdoing; in fact, statistics suggest that staff are more effective than internal and external auditors combined in identifying malpractice.

GSA Global provides specialist services in respect of:

So, it is obvious that whistleblowers can play an important part in everything we do from a security perspective. Understanding how client organisations engage their whistleblowing policies and procedures in maintaining the safety, security and integrity of their operations is always of interest to us because whistleblowers’ information can be invaluable in assessing whether relevant controls are effective, and how they are being circumvented.

From being the preserve of HR departments, there are signs that this vital source of information is becoming more widely regarded as a corporate asset that, properly protected, can be used to support the panoply of safeguards intended to protect staff and reputation. For example, it is notable that whistleblowing is one of the measures that organisations can call on to demonstrate compliance with the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, anti-money laundering legislation, and other regulatory requirements.

Whilst the Serious Fraud Office and others are leading the charge for financial rewards to whistleblowers, research suggests that most whistleblowers are not motivated by money. In our experience over many years of engaging with whistleblowers, most simply want their concerns to be treated seriously and confidentiality to be maintained. The challenge remains that in too many instances whistleblowing is seen as disloyal and damaging to the organisation, whereas the opposite is usually true.

It is therefore a welcome opportunity in whistleblowers’ week to remind those in our profession about whistleblowers’ contribution to safety, security and integrity, and of the small return that most seek for providing us with their unique insights.

Dr Brian Moore is a Managing Director at GSA Global whose PhD research relates to the international role of whistleblowers in public interest disclosures.