Do your employees know how to report wrongdoing internally? Are they willing to do so? Or would they rather leak matters to the media?

One of the major problems in the fight against corruption or fraud is the fact that individuals are often too intimidated to speak out or “blow the whistle” on corrupt and unlawful activities occurring in the workplace. Moreso, it has become increasingly easy for organisations to suffer negative publicity on social media where practically anyone is provided a platform to air their concerns and grievances.

How can companies deal with these matters?

The 2020 KPMG Whistleblowing Survey recommends the setting up of confidential and anonymous whistleblowing hotlines for employees and external parties outside the organisation to enhance control systems and to facilitate reporting of unethical issues. This gives employees greater confidence in the reporting mechanism and helps mitigate apathy and the “bystander effect”.

The KPMG Ethics Line will contribute to restoring honest work ethics in the workplace by empowering the silent majority to speak out in respect of issues that breed unethical practices and erode the foundation of a healthy business. The KPMG Ethics Line is a simple, yet highly effective, management tool designed to enable concerned employees, as well as other stakeholders associated with an organisation, to anonymously report fraudulent, corrupt and unethical practices to an independent third party. They serve as a cost-effective way for organizations to detect fraud and other unethical behaviours before they become problematic. The KPMG Ethics Line provides multiple reporting channels: telephone, email and a mobile app for subscribers.