Whistleblower hotlines: A valuable tool.

• Author: Nieweler, Amanda
• Position: Ethics Comer

An effective ethics reporting tool, implemented as part of an ethics and compliance program, can not only help an organization detect and resolve potential misconduct issues, but it can also help support a culture of integrity and responsibility within the workplace.

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Misconduct in the workplace can be devastating. The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners' "2016 Report to the Nations" estimates that, on average, organizations lose 5 percent of revenue per year due to fraud and other misconduct.

Many organizations have implemented active and deliberate misconduct-detection processes. "Active" means that a person, or an internal control method, has been put in place and is instrumental in looking for fraud and other misconduct. Compare that to "passive" detection, in which the organization learns of unethical activity only after the fact or by accident.

How does an ethics reporting tool, such as a whistleblower hotline, fit in? It could be labeled a "passive" tool because fraud or other misconduct is often reported after it has happened. However, an ethics reporting tool can help to shed light earlier on misconduct that might otherwise continue for any length of time and cause more damage.

Knowing about misconduct sooner enables an organization to put a stop to it earlier. According to the report, the median duration of fraud prior to detection is about 18 months. For smaller organizations, early detection could mean the difference between surviving or going out of business.

A whistleblower hotline doesn't just help bring fraud to the forefront. Other types of misconduct commonly reported using these systems are harassment, discrimination, workplace health and safety violations, alcohol/drug abuse, violence in the workplace, and conflicts of interest--to name a few.

Once an ethics program has been implemented, it needs to engage every employee, from the top down. It can't just exist as window dressing.

Senior management needs to be committed to the ethics program and sincere about sharing their commitment with employees. Employees learn acceptable workplace behavior by taking cues from leadership. If management doesn't believe in the ethics program and model leading with integrity themselves, employees are not likely to use the reporting tool to report any unethical conduct.

Employees may also be skeptical about coming forward to report perceived misconduct. Many people are concerned that even if they do make a...