Anonymous workplace reporting is where employees or any other stakeholders of a business or organization notify the relevant person in that organization of unethical or illegal conduct, without fear of recrimination.  Allowing employees and other individuals to report misconduct or make general suggestions anonymously has a multitude of benefits. These include but are not limited to: Helping to create a culture of transparency and open communication, building trust within a workplaceProviding a secure channel where employees can request guidance, raise queries and make potentially transformative suggestionsProtecting whistleblowers from recrimination, ostracization, or any other negative consequences of speaking upAllowing employees to feel heard and valuedEnsuring your business or organization remains compliant with the relevant whistleblowing legislation in your regionFor example, if an employee feels that they are being bullied, harassed or otherwise mistreated by their line manager, but are afraid to speak up in case their career chances are affected as a result, they can choose to notify the authorized person within their company or organization anonymously and the matter can then be dealt with. Alternatively, if an employee notices an inefficiency in one of their work processes, but does not feel like they have the requisite authority to point it out, they can do so anonymously, potentially saving their company money and/or time. Implementing anonymous reporting in your organizationThere are several ways to implement an anonymous reporting channel in your organization. The most common forms this takes are: An online form: i.e through as whistleblowing platform such as FaceUp, or a designated reporting/feedback toolA hotline: often outsourced to a third party, which employees can call to report their concerns or suspicionsA suggestions/trust box: now a more old-fashioned approach, this is literally a physical box into which employees can drop notesWhen implementing an anonymous reporting tool, it is important to communicate it properly to your employees and offer training in using it. This fosters familiarity and comfort with the system and increases uptake and use. Case studies where anonymous reporting proved beneficialThe experience of company Vitkovice Steel, represents an interesting case study since they noticed that the implementation of an anonymous reporting channel actually led to the percentage of anonymous reports decreasing over time. To begin with, 70% of reports were under the cover of anonymity, eventually going down to 30%, bearing out the improvement in the workplace culture.  Another client, the Brno Municipal Office, found that the introduction of an anonymous whistleblowing platform led to the discovery of instances of bullying by a particular individual who was subsequently removed from the company. They then noticed an increase in productivity after this individual had left. Read about our clients experience with using the anonymous reporting system. ConclusionOverall, it is clear that introducing an anonymous reporting channel in your organization is hugely beneficial in ensuring that employers and anyone else who interacts with your company has the means to report suspicions of wrongdoing or offer up suggestions for improvement, without fear of retribution or embarrassment. Clearly, there are challenges in implementing such a channel, notably in raising awareness of its existence, helping people learn to use it, and ensuring that they continue to use it on a regular basis.  However, these challenges can and must be overcome in order to create a safe, secure, open workplace where employees feel valued and empowered to speak up. Are you seeking to enhance transparency and accountability within your organization?Discover how to effectively implement an anonymous reporting platform tailored to your company's needs. Contact our whistleblowing specialist today to arrange a complimentary demo, and explore the comprehensive features offered by FaceUp. 

There are many ways to tick off the legal requirement for an internal whistleblowing channel. For those of you who want to enable people to safely speak up, we have a comparison of the individual tools side by side, with regard to the conditions of the new proposal for whistleblowing protection law. Phone lineIt takes a lot of courage for an employee to reach out via phone call. Phone call forces the person to describe the context without a chance to read and review what they want to say or to attach any form of evidence such as a document, a photo, or other files. This solution lacks information about who is dealing with the report and what its current state is. In small teams, there’s also no guarantee of anonymity, as the employee’s voice can easily be recognized (what if there’s only one woman on the team?). Requires creating a new anonymous account or numberDoesn’t allow the notifier to think everything through and review what they want to shareThe reporter can’t attach any documents and evidenceAnonymity can’t be guaranteedThe line isn’t always available but is subjected to the work hours of the responsible personAccording to the new law proposal, the received reports will have to be stored in written formEmail E-mail at least eliminates the possibility to identify the notifier by their voice. But different obstacles can arise. Imagine yourself in the shoes of an employee from an older generation who’s already nervous enough about wanting to share a problem with you. If you expose them to the lengthy process of creating an anonymous e-mail, they will likely give up on it instead. Moreover, it will be a chore to create order within all the anonymous correspondence. Not to mention that it will be difficult to collaborate on resolving the issues safely with other colleagues. Requires creating an anonymous e-mail addressYou’re likely to get lost in all the incoming anonymous correspondenceMore people can’t collaborate on resolving issues at the same time, on top of which the notifier does not know the current state.It’s a cheap solutionOnline whistleblowing channel An online trust box platform enables anyone to speak up about anything safely and anonymously. In addition, it provides the whistleblower with an overview of what is happening with his report and the company solver can even establish a dialogue. In the administration of online reporting channels, the solvers can see the status and number of active reports. They can collaborate with other colleagues on the solution and possibly view supporting materials, such as attached photos or documents. Access to the channel can also be given to the customers, job seekers, or even suppliers. Choose an online whistleblowing channel wisely. Ensure it meets all the demands that will soon be required from you and that it’s truly safe. It’s good to check how the personal data is handled, whether all the messages are encrypted, and if the ISO certification is present. The whistleblower’s anonymity is guaranteed as long as they want to have itThey can attach any documents and other forms of evidenceThe solvers can establish a dialogue with the whistleblower without putting their anonymity at riskNo need for creating an accountIt’s available also for suppliers, customers, and other kinds of whistleblowersThere can be an option to include third parties in solving a certain topic (e.g. your lawyers or the company psychologist)Physical mailbox A physical mailbox is a good start. But how to follow up on an anonymous correspondence that arrives in the mailbox? How to find out further details, if someone mentions a serious issue and you’re lacking essential information needed for resolving it? A physical mailbox can be seen as a survival of time, especially among younger colleagues. At the same time, it isn’t compliant with the requirements of the new proposal for the whistleblower protection law, which encourages companies to make their whistleblowing channel accessible also to current job seekers or suppliers. Maintaining anonymity can also become tricky. The whistleblower is risking being seen throwing a report into the box by someone. The whistleblower is risking being seen using the mailboxIt’s not an ideal solution for the younger generations that are more comfortable with online platformsYou have no chance to ask for further information nor to follow up on the report, in case it’s anonymousCustomers and suppliers have no way of expressing their concerns if they don’t have access to the mailboxWe’ll be happy to show you what FaceUp can do. Check out our whistleblowing system and schedule a demo today.