The number of employees using a whistleblowing service increased by 16% in 2024, with HR concerns accounting for more than half of reports.

Safecall’s annual Whistleblowing Benchmarking Report showed online reports increased from 63% to 67% of all disclosures, as the majority preferred to remain anonymous.

The nonprofit sector was the most active in making reports, with one being made for every 100 employees. Safecall’s average was one for every 370.

Other sectors with high levels of reports included food processing and wholesale, and the emergency services.

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Joanna Lewis, managing director of Safecall, said the rise in reports reflected growing awareness around the importance of being able to speak out, but also companies reacting to legislative changes such as the Worker Protection Act.

HR concerns made up 55% of all reports, including bullying, discrimination and unfair treatment. Reports related to dishonest behaviour – bribery, corruption, fraud and theft – now make up nearly one in five reports (19%), a record high from previous years, she added.

Housing associations see the largest number of dishonest behaviour reports, at 60%.

Phone reporting

While there has been a shift towards online reporting in the past six years, many individuals still prefer to report over the phone because they feel there is a greater element of trust. Two in five whistleblowers (43%) who reported over the phone were willing to be named, Safecall found.

“We see this as a positive thing, as employers have more confidence about the mechanisms they have in place,” Lewis told Personnel Today.

“Companies are having conversations about whether their processes are sufficient and whether people know about them. These approaches are either legislation-driven or businesses want to strengthen their cultures and make them a better place to work.”

The majority of whistleblowers still prefer to remain anonymous, however, with 86% of reports in the emergency services unnamed, followed by 76% in the aviation industry. The sector where whistleblowers are most likely to share their identity is support services.

Lewis said industries where workers were less office-based tended to have a higher proportion of phone reports, with employees more likely to share details for further questioning as they have built up trust with the call handler.

She added: “Any whistleblowing – be it named or anonymous – is a good thing. It encourages better workplace culture, improved health and safety, and a reduction in malpractice.

“However, it’s clear from the increase in anonymous reporting that there is more work to be done in reassuring whistleblowers that they will be protected. Being exposed as a whistleblower is an understandable concern, especially when reporting on a critical or serious issue.”

Role of trust

Remaining anonymous could hinder company investigations where further details are required, and may even discourage investigations from taking place, Lewis said.

“This is where the role of trust becomes imperative – whistleblowers should have confidence that their identity will remain confidential, regardless of the severity of their report, and ultimately this lies in having reliable, independent whistleblowing services that can promise this,” she said.

“If an issue is more sensitive, then people might want to talk and explain so their words are not misconstrued. The way call handlers manage these reports can make for an easier investigation with higher levels of substantiation. This is why we believe keeping a telephone hotline in place is important.”

“Generally, every organisation wants to protect its reputation, but we’re also seeing a lot more culture-focused conversations around whistleblowing services because they want to retain staff – recruitment is expensive,” she added.

“Ultimately, we are taking a step in the right direction, and as organisations continue to promote ethical practices and build trust within their speak-up systems, we should expect to see a continued increase in reporting levels – allowing companies to investigate appropriately and ensuring malpractice does not slip through the cracks.”

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