Whistleblowing and Protection

Whistleblowing and the Importance of Protecting Whistleblowers

• Corruption is often hidden, and parties involved are interested in keeping it a secret.
• Employees are key sources of information on corrupt activities in organizations.
• Procedures must be established for employees to submit information on corruption offenses.
• Whistleblowers are individuals who disclose sensitive information on offenses or actions that harm public interest.
• Whistleblower protection systems are developed at the national level, primarily covering government agencies and organizations.
• Private sector representatives can also benefit from implementing or improving whistleblower mechanisms at the company level.
• The course focuses on whistleblowing procedures outside of the criminal process and protection of whistleblowers without criminal procedural status.
• Witness protection issues are not addressed in detail.
• Public perception of whistleblowing as socially (un)approved and (un)encouraged behavior can undermine whistleblowing.
• Negative public perception affects potential whistleblowers, whistleblower's superiors and colleagues, lawmakers, and employees responsible for administering the whistleblowing system.
• Negative public perception can lead to reluctance to adopt relevant norms or introduce insufficient, ineffective, or hostile whistleblowing regulation.
• The course does not cover the ethics of whistleblowing or its cultural dimensions.