Whisle Blowing 1
Whisle Blowing 1
Whisle Blowing 1
informs the public or the government agency of an illegal, harmful, or unethical activity done by their business or institution.
The language of blowing the whistle comes from
sports where a referee or umpire blows a whistle to stop play and call attention to illegal or improper conduct.
What is Whistle-blowing?
Whistleblowing has been defined as occurring when a present or former employee
discloses information which the employee reasonably believes evidences a violation of any law, rule, or regulation, or gross mismanagement such as gross waste of funds, an abuse of authority, or a substantial and specific danger to public health and safety
(US Whistleblower Protection Act 1989 ).
ISSUES.
Whistleblowing raises ethical concerns because,
unlike the neutral umpire in sports , employees are considered by some people to be team members whose loyalty to the team should preclude or prevent blowing the whistle.
Whistleblowing puts the whistle blower at risk, it
also raises concerns about the employees responsibilities to self and to ones dependents.
ones employer, and to ones own commitments - sets the ethical context for whistle blowing.
The ethical issue of whistle blowing thus involves both its
permissibility and its obligatoriness. 1. Is it permissible to blow the whistle on ones employer? 2. Is it ever ethically obligatory to do so?
2.
Do you have all the facts and have you properly understood their
significance?
3.
Have all internal channels and steps short of whistle blowing been exhausted?
4. 5.
What is the best way to blow a whistle? What is my responsibility in view of my role in the organization ?
employees to protest company decisions or to get back at their employers. 2. They can also do so to cover up their own incompetence or inadequate performance. 3. Encroach on the traditional rights of employers to conduct the business 4. Create an informer ethos at work that would threaten the spirit of cooperation and trust on which sound working relationships depend.
whistle-blowers is a utilitarian one that rests on the contribution whistle-blowers make to society.
EVERYONE HAS THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH.
3. Well trained personnel to receive and investigate reports Ability to maintain the confidentiality and to conduct a fair and thorough investigation. 4. A commitment to take appropriate action the reports of suspected wrongdoing should not be ignored or misused. 5. A guarantee against retaliation assurance that employees will not suffer retaliation for making the reports in good faith. Retaliation can only be prevented if the importance of the policy is effectively communicated to everyone in the organization and there is credible commitment to the policys success by the top management