Majority of Canadians Willing to Speak up and Report Workplace Wrong-Doing Finds the New ‘WhistleBlower Security National Report’
TORONTO, Oct 2, 2019 – According to the new ‘WhistleBlower Security National Report’ released today, 94 per cent of Canadian employees feel it is their responsibility to speak up when they see wrong-doing in the workplace. The Report also finds that 40 per cent of working Canadians have witnessed wrong-doing in the workplace and of those, 77 per cent are likely to report it. The research was commissioned by Canadian-based WhistleBlower Security Inc., a global provider of ethics reporting services, and conducted in September 2019 on the Angus Reid Forum with 516 full and part-time employed Canadians.
“The WhistleBlower Security National Report shows the vast majority of Canadian employees will speak up if and when they see wrong-doing in the workplace and this is good news,” says Shannon Walker, Founder and President, WhistleBlower Security Inc. “Not only does this help ensure safer, more compliant and tolerant workplaces, but if internal reporting tools are in place employers can learn about and address issues before they exacerbate or are made public.”
The WhistleBlower Security National Report also finds that 96 per cent of Canadian employees believe safeguards should be in place to protect employees who blow the whistle and 71 per cent say it should be mandatory for all companies of a significant size to have a whistleblower hotline. When a whistleblower hotline is not available, the Report finds that employees first share their concerns with their boss and then discuss the concerns with colleagues, followed by friends/family and industry officials.
“Whistleblower hotlines are no longer ‘nice to have’ and are now essential business tools that help protect employees as well as the success, reputation, and sustainability of an organization,” adds Walker. “Not only do employees expect these hotlines to be in place, but whistleblower hotlines are turning up everywhere, including at the Vatican.” Earlier this year, Pope Francis issued a decree requiring every diocese worldwide to set up a whistleblowing hotline within one year.
In addition to whistleblower hotlines fostering trust and transparency within an organization, research conducted in 2018 at George Washington University shows they are also associated with greater profitability and workforce productivity, fewer lawsuits, lower settlements and fewer external whistleblower reports to regulatory bodies and authorities.
About the Research
From September 20 to September 25, 2019 an online survey was conducted among a representative sample of 516 Canadians employed at organizations with more than 250 employees. Respondents are members of the Angus Reid Forum. The margin of error is +/- 4.4 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
About WhistleBlower Security
WhistleBlower Security Inc. is a global provider of ethics reporting services, including a 24/7/365 Global Ethics Hotline and Case Management platform (IntegrityCounts), to provide organizations with an efficient and trustworthy ethics reporting process. Its product and service offerings help employees, customers, and suppliers feel safe and secure when reporting ethics and compliance-related issues. Based in Vancouver, Canada, WhistleBlower Security offers organizations worldwide with a secure and stable platform to protect their most confidential information. WhistleBlower Security is also a Woman Business Enterprise (WBE Canada certification) and is committed to a diverse workforce. Visit www.whistleblowersecurity.com for more information.
For more information or to book an interview, please contact:
Ann Gallery
High View Communications
ann@highviewcommunications.com
604-346-9540