Whistleblowing – Cross-Border Considerations

Alja Poler De Zwart recently spoke to Financier Worldwide about whistleblowing and the importance of the practice in fighting against corruption and corporate wrongdoing. As the regulatory focus on whistleblowing grows, companies must have effective procedures in place to encourage people to speak up.

Alja said, “The primary concern of companies right now is ensuring that whistleblowers come to them and do not report their knowledge of fraud or other misconduct within the organisation to external reporting channels, such as regulators or the media. For this to work, the company must have set up appropriate processes to ensure fair handling of whistleblower reports, and informing the pool of potential whistleblowers that it is in their best interest to report any misconduct to the company as soon as possible.”

“Companies should take all available steps to not only encourage whistleblowers to report their knowledge of corporate fraud directly to the organisation, but also reassure individuals that the company will treat them with respect and handle their reports appropriately.”

Read the full article.