How Businesses Can Strengthen Compliance, Support Whistleblowers

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It’s natural for employers to feel as if they are in a tough spot when it comes to protecting confidentiality related to whistleblower claims, as these actions inherently come from an employee’s ability to report wrongdoing to enforcement agencies. However, there are steps companies can take to strengthen compliance and support would-be whistleblowers.

The Whistleblower Protection Advisory Committee released a best practices memo last year outlining some important elements to promote effective whistleblower protection and anti-retaliation programs within organizations. Here are a few quick points:

Businesses should demonstrate their commitment to addressing internal complaints and emphasize that retaliation is strictly prohibited. This commitment should start with leadership of the company and trickle down the ladder.
Companies should seek to develop a culture that promotes an open-door policy for reporting and addressing any issues that arise, again emphasizing the prevention of retaliation by management.
Organizations should install independent systems to resolve any allegations of retaliation that arise.
Businesses should implement training for employees and managers alike so they are aware of their rights, including information about both external and internal protection programs.
Companies should have various monitoring processes established to ensure no factors within the company are preventing whistleblowers from reporting wrongdoing. These measures should also be able to gauge exactly how effective a company’s open-door policy truly is.
Organizations should perform regular audits to determine the effectiveness of the program.

Having these elements in place can not only improve a company’s overall compliance and avoid potential litigation, but it can also go a long way toward improving its culture and the general satisfaction of employees.

For further guidance on boosting compliance and establishing a true open-door atmosphere for reporting issues, contact the experienced team of Dallas lawyers at Whistleblower Law for Managers today.

By Steve Kardell | Published March 24, 2016 | Posted in Whistleblower Litigation | Tagged whistleblower protection

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Testimonials

"Steve Kardell was terrific in representing me in some very adversarial discussions with Citigroup and also later represented me in my testimony before the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission." -Richard Bowen, Citigroup Whistleblower
"Incredible knowledge of employee related concerns and equally brilliant knowledge of health care regulations, standards of practice. I would recommend this firm to anyone." -V.B.
"Reaching out to Steve Kardell was the best decision I made. His ability to provide immediate insight and direction was very powerful, and a huge relief during a very stressful time period. For anyone struggling with a whistleblower situation, I would highly recommend at least speaking with Steve. After a 10 minute call with him, I had a better understanding of what I was dealing with. Even better, he gave me some immediate hope. In the end Steve did a better job than I thought was possible. Steve was able to get in contact with people in my organization, that I didn’t have access to. Because of his years of experience, he already has contacts in many organizations in Dallas. The entire situation was handled peacefully. I was impressed by his ability to “keep the peace”–rather than creating a battle with the organization. The reason I didn’t reach out to a lawyer initially, was because I thought it would mean an immediate end to any hope of a positive relationship with the company. Steve was able to address my concerns, and in the end I was able to continue to work for them." -KS
"Never thought my career would end like it did after 30 years of service. I was part of the first round of the so called reduction of force. I asked myself how can I be part of this with 30 years of seniority. How did they pick these 90 plus employees? Now, the culture of this organization made you question every decision they made. It wasn’t what you knew it’s was a culture of who you know. Nonetheless, I did not accept their severance package. I immediately starting looking for an attorney who would take on my case. After the initial call to Steve I had hope again. He was open and honest about everything and reassured me he would do his best for me, and he did. I had an awesome outcome. Thanks Steve you’re the best." -S.S.