Abstract
‘Blowing the whistle’ is fraught with risk and this is increasingly recognised by the widespread adoption of whistle-blower legislation to protect the whistle-blower. This paper reviews current legislation, the literature on victimisation of whistle-blowers and reports the results of a study of whistleblowers. Interviews conducted with whistleblowers showed that their experience is usually negative. They become ‘victims’ of a range of harms, including loss of employment, bullying and harassment and emotional distress. The results have implications for the successful operation of the new disclosure laws introduced by the Australian and State governments.
Highlights
In democratic societies, governments, public sector organisations and others who spend the public ‘purse’ it is generally accepted that they should be accountable to the wider public
‘Blowing the whistle’ is fraught with risks and this is increasingly recognised by the widespread adoption of whistle-blower legislation to protect the whistle-blower
The purpose of this paper is to describe a study of a self-selected sample of whistle-blowers after they reported wrongdoing in their workplace, from the point of view of what they experienced through qualitative interviews, and of those who handle and manage whistle blower reports, the ‘disclosure coordinators’, through an on-line survey
Summary
Governments, public sector organisations and others who spend the public ‘purse’ it is generally accepted that they should be accountable to the wider public. Research (Armstrong 2014) suggests that those who know most about wrongdoing are often those closest to the action. These people have been termed ‘whistle-blowers’ if they decide to report the wrongdoing. What does it mean to ‘blow the whistle’? What motivates a person to ‘blow the whistle’? What are the difficulties experienced by whistle-blowers? To whom should organisations be accountable for how they handle whistle-. What are the experiences of whistle-blowers after reporting wrongdoing and what is the impact on the organisation? Blower allegations? What are the experiences of whistle-blowers after reporting wrongdoing and what is the impact on the organisation? It is these last questions that are the focus of the present study
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