Question

What is whistle blowing? When is it a justifiable course of action for a professional?

Answer 1

Whistleblowing is an act done by an employee, a former employee, supplier, contractor, client, or any individual working and being a part of a company or an organization, where he/she finds out the wrongdoings or misconduct of the company, organization or even a government, where the ethical rules are not followed or simply broken either intentionally or without one's knowledge, causing threat and in turn harm for the company, organization, consumers, public, employees, etc, and the whistleblower reports either to another employee or a team within the company or contacts a law enforcement or the media outside the company for fairness and justice.

This act of the employee is an attempt to disclose the process, policies, procedures, act, events, etc which he/she believes to be wrongdoing in or by the company or an organization. In the process, the person has and reports insider knowledge of any or all illegal businesses, administration or military activities happening in an organization, company or a government respectively.

In this process, the intention is to make victims, subjects, the culprits, the government, and the public be aware of the wrongdoing and violation of the law in a company or government's business activities and report it to the proper authorities. It is an act of making public disclosure of wrongdoing, unethical behavior or corruption. The person who does this whistleblowing act is called a whistleblower.

It can get personal, impersonal, public, internal, external, private, national or international. It is considered as going against the bonds and loyalty towards the company. Whistleblowing act is an outcome specifically of data breaches, misuse or abuse of data of employees, consumers or the public.

It a justifiable course of action for a professional when an employee or any employee for that finds out a risk of a major or serious threat of physical, mental, financial, social, harm to the consumers, himself/herself and other employees, staff, clients, stakeholders, vendors, home and other users, customers, state, public or the citizens of a country or countries, etc against his/her moral concern.

* It is a justifiable course of action when the intention and the consequence bring fairness.

* It is justifiable, moral, and is an ethical action for the most part as the definition of whistleblowing itself is disclosing or revealing of information (wrongdoing) in or by a company.

* There may not be requirements to follow a strict formal or official way of suppressing something which is wrong, as the company indulged in wrongdoing does not have the chance, right or does not deserve to argue about the act (whistleblowing), whose sole intention is to be good, think good, and do good and bring in fairness, whereas any and all wrongdoings do have their limitations.

* Whistleblowing is justifiable and is morally needed when, if at all it is required in the first place.
* It is justifiable, especially with the people who are moral, ethically and legally bound to prevent serious harm to others and protect them if they are able to do it with a little sacrifice and get themselves into trouble without any selfishness.
* Specifically, it is justifiable when a service, product, policy, process, procedure, event or an act causes harm to the public or the citizens of any country.
* It is justifiable when all the efforts and actions were taken by the employee reporting and escalating the matter to his/her supervisor, manager or a concerned team within the company supposed to work on it failed or exhausted, that's when the employee can, should and would blow the whistle.
* Of course, the whistleblower must have all the documented proofs, facts and figures convincing the public and the case can be brought into trial.
* The intention of whistleblowing is to resolve the issue making the company or the government not indulging in wrongdoing, thus justifying the action of whistleblowing.

There is no such limitation, restrictions, constraints or a rule as to how "good" things can be done!

Answer 2

Whistleblowing refers to the act of an individual, typically an employee or insider, revealing information about illegal, unethical, or harmful activities within an organization or institution. This disclosure is often made to higher authorities, the media, or the public with the intention of exposing wrongdoing and seeking accountability.

Whistleblowing is a justifiable course of action for a professional in various situations:

1. Ethical Violations: When a professional becomes aware of actions that are illegal, unethical, or against their moral principles, whistleblowing can be a justifiable action to prevent harm and uphold ethical standards.

2. Public Safety and Health: If a professional discovers practices that pose risks to public safety, health, or the environment, whistleblowing can be justified to protect the well-being of the community.

3. Fraud and Corruption: Whistleblowing is warranted when professionals come across fraudulent or corrupt practices within their organization, as it helps to expose and address financial misconduct.

4. Violations of Laws and Regulations: If an organization is violating laws, regulations, or industry standards, whistleblowing can be a way to prompt corrective action and ensure compliance.

5. Suppression of Information: When there is evidence of attempts to suppress or cover up information related to wrongdoing, whistleblowing becomes essential in bringing transparency and accountability.

6. Retaliation and Discrimination: If a professional faces retaliation, harassment, or discrimination for raising concerns internally, whistleblowing might be necessary to protect their rights and seek justice.

7. Exhaustion of Internal Channels: If internal reporting mechanisms fail to address the issues or if there are fears of reprisals, whistleblowing externally may be the only viable option.

Justifiability of whistleblowing often depends on the severity and scale of the wrongdoing, the potential harm caused, and the likelihood of resolving the issue through internal channels. Professionals should consider the impact of their actions carefully, ensure they have sufficient evidence, and, if possible, seek legal advice or support from whistleblower protection programs before taking this step. Whistleblowing can be a courageous act, but it also carries personal and professional risks, so it is crucial for professionals to make an informed decision and protect themselves as much as possible when engaging in this action.