Whistleblowing

MYTH 1: whistleblowing is dobbing. Dobbing, a derogatory term, usually means informing on a mate. Whistleblowing means speaking out in the public interest.

MYTH 2: whistleblowers always set out to be whistleblowers. Actually, a great number of them, like Norma, were just doing their jobs. They were conscientious and productive workers. They believed in the goals of the organisation. When they saw evidence of corruption or dangers to the public, they reported it fully expecting the problem to be dealt with. They are incredibly shocked when they are attacked as a result. Many of them still don't adopt the label of whistleblower, preferring to think of themselves as workers who were just doing their jobs.

MYTH 3: whistleblowers are malingerers, attention-seekers, radicals or ratbags. Actually, most whistleblowers are serious and hard-working. Many are conservative, socially and politically.

The only attention they usually desire is on the problem they are concerned about, not themselves. For their efforts, most of them come under sustained attack and suffer enormously, often spending large amounts of money defending themselves, experiencing serious health problems and break up of relationships.

MYTH 4: the best way to protect whistleblowers is through whistleblower legislation. Actually, it doesn't work. There are whistleblower laws on the books in several Australian states, yet there is not a single whistleblower known to have benefited from any of them.

MYTH 5: official channels are available to deal with problems reported by whistleblowers. Official channels include internal grievance procedures, appeal bodies, ombudsmen, courts, human rights commissions, antidiscrimination bodies, anticorruption commissions and parliaments. Whistleblower researcher Dr William De Maria surveyed hundreds of whistleblowers. He found that official channels helped in less than one out of ten cases. In many instances, official channels were actually harmful.

If governments were serious about fostering public interest disclosures, they would get rid of laws gagging public servants, reform defamation law to reduce its role in chilling free speech, and provide arms-length funding to whistleblower support groups.

Many of those with lots of experience talking to whistleblowers have concluded that there are only two things that reliably help. The first is talking to other whistleblowers. The other is publicity, especially media coverage. It should not be a surprise, then, that most whistleblower legislation seeks to discourage people from going to the media. Whistleblowers speak out in a way that challenges vested interests. Whistleblowing is threatening to both the vested interests and to many of those who are complicit or afraid of the consequences of speaking out.

Todays Lou Holtz quote - “Don't ever promise more than you can deliver, but always deliver more than you promise.”

Very apt for UPS, oops mentioned them again