Practical hints for small organisations


Organisations with a small number of employees may reasonably think it is not necessary to set up a detailed whistleblowing policy. The practical tips set out below may nonetheless be useful.

Explain the issue
  • Involve your employees and listen to their sense of right and wrong. Explain how wrongdoing affects your organisation: the effect on jobs, morale and everyone with whom you work. Discuss with them any particular risks your organisation may face.
  • Encourage your employees to keep their eyes open and keep you informed of their concerns. Explain that this is a key way you can ensure management's accountability and your own commitment to good practice across the organisation. This message will help deter anyone tempted to take advantage of their position and your trust. If there is a staff association or union, get them to back this approach.
  • Explain that a whistleblower is a witness, not a complainant. This will help you, employees and managers separate the message from the messenger.
  • Stress that you want employees to raise the matter when it is just a concern, rather than have them wait for proof or investigate the matter themselves.
Practise what you preach
  • Employees need to know what conduct is unacceptable. If in doubt, they should be encouraged to ask management if something is appropriate before - not after - the event.
  • When you find serious wrongdoing (whether by employees or managers), deal with it seriously. Remember you cannot expect your employees to practise higher standards than those you apply.
Be open to concerns
  • Remember it can be awkward and embarrassing to raise a concern, particularly one which may have an impact on friends, colleagues or managers.
  • Try to ensure that all managers are open to any such concern before it becomes part of a grievance. If it is uncomfortable for the employee or manager to deal with a particular matter, tell them they can and should raise it at a senior level.
  • Make it clear that you will support concerned employees and protect them from reprisals. This will ensure that most employees will raise concerns openly.
  • Aside from line management, make sure employees have another route to raise a concern. This should be to a senior officer such as the Chief Executive or a Board member. Tell employees how they can contact that person and, if needed, that a confdential option is available.
  • Promote relevant external routes such as a regulator, as this will reassure employees and others that you want to deal with concerns properly.
  • Reassure them that if they are unsure whether or how to raise a concern they can get free confidential independent advice from Public Concern at Work. For information about subscribing to our helpline, click here.
Responding to a concern
  • Remember there are two sides to every story.
  • Thank the employee for raising the matter, even if the concern proves to be mistaken.
  • Respect and heed legitimate employee concerns about their own position or career.
  • Report back to the employee about the outcome of any enquiry and any remedial action you propose to take.,?
  • Always remember you may have to explain how you handled the concern.
Tying the loose ends
  • Emphasise to managers and employees that victimising people who raise genuine concerns is a disciplinary offence.
  • Make it clear that raising an untrue allegation maliciously is a disciplinary offence.