Question

Do not call a whistleblower hotline if it reports to the legal department. True or false? Please answer in 200 words

Answer 1

False.

The U.S. Dodd-Frank Act, enacted in July 2010, attempts to strengthen accountability specifically by providing protections for those who come forward as whistleblowers but also allows regulators to respond to misconduct through fines and legal actions.

Organizations can use hotline-reporting program metrics and call volumes to measure the overall usage, but the numbers don't always tell the full story. Low call volumes might indicate a lack of overall trust in the program and not that employees have few problems to report.

Trust is the primary determining factor as to whether an employee will come forward with a concern. Management might try a quick-fix reaction to a messy investigation with more hotline posters or ask the CEO to use the word "compliance" in every presentation or meeting. But employees often view these ploys as mere window dressing.