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The price of truth: Whistleblowers, the unsung heroes
- India’s largest IT company in August terminated an employee who had served the organisation for 11 years, leaving a dark stain on the corporate world after the female employee’s sexual harassment complaint against a manager was upheld.
- There is some protection under India’s Whistle Blowers Protection Act (2014) for those who report corruption, abuse of power or misconduct. However, in the private sector, whistleblowers are left to fend for themselves.
- Retaliation is common for whistleblowers globally, and a report found that 61% of employees reporting irregularities experienced retaliation, ranging from withheld promotions to ostracism and worse.
- Organisations are afraid of controversies and operate a culture of silence, whereby an employee exposing corruption, fraud or harassment is seen as a betrayal.
- The impact on whistleblowers is devastating; their careers are derailed, reputations tainted and financial stability threatened. The difficult decision of choosing between integrity and survival is all too often feels entirely necessary.
- Corporate India needs to move beyond performative ethics, meaning anti-retaliatory policies must be actively enforced. The absence of an OSHA style regulatory body in the private sector leaves employees vulnerable and discouraged from speaking up.
- Leadership could also be key. Leaders could ask whether ignoring a whistleblower is worth the damage to organisational integrity, chipping away at the trust of both employees and the public.
- Courage is at the core of whistleblowing, but without safeguard mechanisms, whistleblowers continue to bear the brunt of speaking truth to power.
- The real cost of silence will continue to be carried by the few who choose to break it until there is systemic change and accountability in the private sector.
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