Over one-quarter (28 percent) of organizations surveyed in our
2022 Regional Whistleblowing Hotline Benchmark Report did not
confirm that an anti-retaliation policy was a part of their
organization's confidential reporting and investigatory
program. A similar number of respondents (29 percent) did not
indicate that their company had a reporting hotline or internal
channel for whistleblowers to raise concerns.
That's a huge problem. Here's why.
By not having a solid anti-retaliation policy, you risk sending
a message to employees that their voices are not valued and that
speaking out against wrongdoing is discouraged. This can lead to a
toxic and hostile workplace environment – undermining their
trust and negatively impacting morale. Faced with the prospect of
retaliatory behavior, concerned employees may be too afraid to
report any potential misconduct or violations. This also risks your
organization's ethical or legal violations going unchecked and
unresolved.
