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Keeping the incident reporter informed during the investigation process and working to prevent retaliation are keys to help the whistleblower stay engaged and to reduce the odds of the original complaint being aired again with regulators or via social media.
According to compliance software provider Navex Global, incident reporters who feel their concern has been addressed are likely to come away from the experience more confident about the organization’s commitment to ethical behavior.
In contrast, someone who feels their complaint is being ignored is more likely to share that frustration informally with colleagues -- or to highlight the issue on social media, with an attorney or with regulators.
Clear communications
One of the keys to communicating with whistleblowers effectively is understanding the typical concerns incident reporters have about coming forward, such as retaliation and having their complaint ignored. By expressing appreciation for their willingness to raise their concerns, explaining your process for investigating the issue and reminding them about anti-retaliation policies, you’ll demonstrate that you’re taking the incident seriously.
It’s also critical to stress the importance of confidentiality throughout the process – not only among the team investigating a complaint, but also for the employee who raises concerns about unethical behavior. Because temptation to gossip can be hard to resist, whistleblowers are often among the most common sources of leaks about pending complaints – making it critical for all parties to understand the need for confidentiality.
Similarly, people participating in an investigation should understand the types of information that can be shared with whistleblowers. The informal sharing of disparaging information, or comments such as “this isn’t the first time we’ve heard about something like this,” could lead to additional claims from the employee being investigated if their privacy isn’t respected as well.
Keep everyone informed
Regular updates are also important to effective whistleblower communications. Wondering what’s going on can increase the reporter’s anxiety and undermine his or her confidence in the process.
These updates should occur on a regular basis, and should be coordinated so anyone participating in an investigation provides the same information to the incident reporter. Inconsistent or conflicting information can reduce confidence in the process and inspire the whistleblower to escalate his or her complaint outside the organization.
The organization may wish to develop standard message templates to ensure messages are consistent and conform with company policies.
Wrapping things up
As an investigation winds down, it’s important to share as much information with the whistleblower as you can. You may not be able to provide specific information about whether someone was punished or how, but you can inform the incident reporter that an investigation has concluded and appropriate measures were taken.
You should also provide contact information to let the incident reporter know steps to take if they have additional questions, believe their complaint was not addressed or if they experience retaliation.
There’s no guarantee a whistleblower will be satisfied with the outcome of an investigation, but it’s important to take – and explain – steps to improve the odds they feel their complaint was taken seriously.