5 tips to convince your boss to implement whistleblowing

Are you missing a whistleblowing system in your workplace? Do you and your colleagues want to experience the many upsides of having an effective whistleblowing system in place, or are you 50 employees or more and want to ensure compliance with the new whistleblower law? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, it is likely that your organisation would benefit from the implementation of a whistleblowing system.

Convincing your boss of something might be difficult. To avoid a suggestion falling between cracks, preparation and planning may be required. That can be the case even when the suggestion regards something as useful as a whistleblowing system. In this blog post, we will present five tips that you can use to successfully convince your boss to implement a whistleblowing system. 

1. A good whistleblowing system is valuable

It’s a good idea to consider how your suggestion might gain the entire organisation. The value of a whistleblowing system can be emphasised by lifting the benefits of having a whistleblowing system in place, like:

• A whistleblowing system makes it easy to ensure compliance with Swedish whistleblowing law 
• Whistleblowing can improve team work by building trust
• Whistleblowing can increase results, for example by fighting fraud
• The board, shareholders and owners can rest assured that misconduct will be exposed internally before reaching media 

Emphasising the advantages that are in your boss’s interest is not a bad idea. Therefore, ask yourself what goals your boss is striving towards, and how your suggestion will help your boss to reach the goals.

Is your boss looking to create a healthy work climate? Emphasise the fact that when employees have the possibility to report misconduct, they feel safer at work, which leads to increased well-being. Happy employees, in turn, are likely to be more productive, which benefits the entire organisation. 

Additional reading: What is a whistleblower system and how can it benefit your organisation?

2. Discuss whistleblowing with your colleagues

Can your suggestion benefit anyone else in addition to you and your boss? If you believe that the opportunity to whistleblow in an adequate manner is missing, chances are your co-workers are experiencing the same thing. Ask your colleagues if they will support your suggestion. Explore how your suggestion can be developed to benefit as many of your co-workers as possible. For example, it could be a good idea to discuss how risks can be minimised by implementing a whistleblowing system. 

Additional reading: 5 examples of misconduct in the workplace 

If you believe that setting up a meeting to discuss whistleblowing is a too formal approach, consider lifting the subject over lunch or by the coffee machine. Discussing a new suggestion in a casual environment might not be a bad idea, even when the suggestion regards something as important as whistleblowing.

When some of your colleagues have agreed to support your suggestion, develop and present it to your boss together. The more people who come together to support the idea, the more likely it is that it will be enforced. 

3. Assess potential risk with and without a whistleblowing system

A suggestion that carries low risk but earns the company high yield should interest your boss. Fortunate enough, implementation of a whistleblowing system is a process that brings little risk, while the potential winnings are many. 

Additional reading: 3 occasions when whistleblowing could have made a difference

Before implementing a whistleblowing system, consider what the cost of the implementation will be. The cost might vary depending on the supplier. The investment, which is in this case is equal to the risk, is weighed against advantages like:

• The organisation can fight fraud
• Misconduct can be exposed and measures can be taken
• Employees will be more satisfied with their workplace environment

Considering the issues that whistleblowing might help your organisation to avoid, it can be said that investing in a whistleblowing system is cost effective. 

4. Use available whistleblowing statistics

To persuade someone, sometimes it takes more than words. Using statistics is usually a very effective method to strengthen arguments. There is a lot of data proving the benefits of whistleblowing.

For example, you can tell your boss that over half of all whistleblowing reports in 2021 were filed by an anonymous whistleblower. That fact shows how important it is that whistleblowers are given the option to keep their identity hidden. You can also lift the fact that a good whistleblowing system can save the organisation a sum equal to 2.5% of revenue, just by fighting fraud. This statistic is stated in the ACFE:s Report to the Nations 2022. In this study you can also find more useful information and statistics.

5. Lift the benefits of whistleblowing

The last tip in convincing your boss to implement a whistleblowing system is to simply lift the benefits of whistleblowing. 

Additional reading: 5 benefits of whistleblowing in the workplace

Whistleblowing systems contribute to safe and open workspaces 

Today, many organisations choose to implement a flat organisational structure. Flat structures might contribute to making corporate hierarchy less prominent, but it does not automatically mean that employees feel safe reporting misconducts carried out by their superiors. The option to report anonymously creates safe work spaces. 

Whistleblowing enables damage control

Yet another reason whistleblowing is an important part of modern workplace culture is that it allows employees within the entire organisation to give important feedback to the right recipient. This way, chances increase that misconduct is corrected before it causes the company uncontrollable damage. 

An organisation with a whistleblowing system can be trusted

Having a standardised and well-functioning method for reporting misconduct signals that your organisation can be trusted. Regulatory authorities, suppliers, customers and employees can rest assured that the company takes whistleblowing seriously. 

Whistleblowing to grow as an organisation

Whistleblowing reports give employers a unique insight into business. Without a whistleblowing system the employer may never gain these insights. Hence, whistleblowing reports can help boards of directors to make the right decisions in time. 

Implementing a whistleblowing system does not have to be complicated

Finally, it can be a good idea to mention that the implementation of a whistleblowing system does not have to be a complicated process. Visslan appreciates that it takes less than 120 minutes to implement a whistleblowing system. With the right assistance, whistleblowing can be made simple, cost effective and smooth. 

The benefits of having a whistleblowing system are many 

In conclusion, there are many upsides to whistleblowing. Therefore, with some planning and the right preparations, it shouldn’t be too difficult to convince your boss to implement a whistleblowing system. Do you want to explore the benefits of whistleblowing further, or do you want more tips on how to convince your boss to implement a whistleblowing system? Contact us for a free consultation.