Whistleblower guide aims to help employers develop 'speak up' culture

A national agency best known for certifying sports equipment, appliances and technology has published anew guide aimed at helping companies create a safe environment forwhistleblowers.

The Canadian Standards Association now called CSA Grouphas developed a how-to guide for organizations wanting to draw up their own whistleblower systems. The guide is aimed specifically at small and medium sized businesses.

HilaryDavies, a project manager atCSA Group, said there are rigid regulations governingillegal activityin the workplace, but rules surrounding ethics are often less clear.

Whistleblowerpolicy could apply to financial, environmental or health and safety concerns that can arise.

"This guide goes beyond illegal activities. If there are activities that are deemed unethical, but not necessarily illegal, then it wouldn't be covered by legislation or regulations, that's where the guide really helps to expand that scope," said Davies.

She notedit's also useful for organizations that do have existing whistleblower policies, because they can see how they can update and improve the systems they have in place.

The guide, which was written by business executives, academics, investigators and former whistleblowersis now available for free on CSA's communities of interest website.

'Speak up' culture

"A lot of the focus was on encouraging a 'speakup' culture and really looking at preventing reprisals from happening, encouraging a culture in the workplace that would allow them to talk about suspected wrong doing," said Davies.

They have to be confident that the system they're participating in is going to protect them.- Robert Shepherd, Carleton University

He said it's key for organizations to get buy-in from employees if a whistleblowing system is going to work.

The guide states: "There is a strong relationship between the creation of a psychologically safe and healthy workplace and the creation of a whistleblowing system ... and reinforcing a culture that gives employees 'voice.'"