How can businesses make their whistleblower training programs better?
Ms. Ang noted that there has been more emphasis on putting in place safeguards to protect reporters ‘ rights in recent years.
The attorney has knowledge of advising businesses on their whistleblower policies and procedures.
She said that businesses also need to make sure there is a way for them to investigate these issues so that whistleblowers don’t break the law, as well.
She continued, noting that businesses that take their whistleblowing policy really place an emphasis on ensuring it is great ethical conduct throughout the organization.  ,
They do want to promote reporters to come ahead if there are actually true concerns there, she said, rather than saying that you must be sure before you whistleblow.
When it comes to whistleblowing, it is the control that sets the tone, said Prof Mak, adding that it is important that they are committed to the project.
Why should businesses have strong whistleblower protection programs?
If businesses do not have a good policy on reporting, it is more likely that employees may look for additional strategies, said Prof Mark.  ,
” And once ( he or she ) goes externally to a regulator, ( the firm ) may lose any control it has in terms of how it manages the investigation process, so ( it is ) in the organisation’s self-interest to have a good whistleblowing policy”, he said.  ,
Ms. Ang added that the prospective reputational harm a whistleblowing program may cause could be worse than any expenses a business might face as a result of setting it up.
Do you get rewarded for whistleblowers?
A reward based on 15 % of the tax recovered, with a cap of S$$ 100, 000 ( US$$ 73, 000 ), would be given to informants, according to the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore website, if the information and documents provided result in a tax recovery that would otherwise have been lost.
But, Prof Mak said that generally, whistleblowers do not request for a reward.  ,
There was once a common reluctance among Asians to report, but now more people are aware of the value of a whistleblowing program, according to Ms. Ang.
She also made it clear that whistleblowers may be required to have a grievance procedure and protections against retaliation under approaching policy, such as the one on workplace fairness.