Is 2019 a landmark year for whistleblower protection?

The brave individuals who report wrongdoing at work are vital for exposing corrupt schemes and actions. Countless lives and billions of dollars or pesos of public funds have been saved thanks to whistleblowers.

Too often, however, they face retaliation after bringing corruption, fraud and financial malpractice to light. These attacks are sometimes professional, sometimes legal, and can even be directed against the whistleblower’s family, property or physical and mental well-being. 

Many times, those who enact revenge on whistleblowers are able to get away with it because there are not sufficient measures in place to protect whistleblowers from retaliation.

But, is change around the corner?

In Europe, over half a billion people have been assured protection for reporting wrongdoing at work, thanks to the EU directive which was agreed in March. Member States have until October 2021 to transpose the Directive into national laws. After that, there will finally be a coherent set of standards across the EU, which will guarantee that people who speak out aren’t punished for their bravery.

Australia set a new standard in private sector whistleblower protection. Companies there now have to proactively put in place protections to that will safeguard people who speak out. The next step should be for government employees to be afforded the same level of protection.

Philippines – while it is good to note that both Houses of Congress have developed bills on Whistleblower Protection, it is sad to realize that the bills have not been moving for a very long time, despite the fact that government agencies and private sector organizations need whistleblowers to effectively address corruption, fair competition, data privacy protection, and the nasty activities of unethical hackers.

But whistleblowers will be reluctant to step forward without an effective Whistleblower Protection Law. In my view, it is high time that the new lawmakers in the House of Representatives and the Senate understand the importance of Whistleblower Protection and sponsor the bills.

GT20 - whistleblower protection has been declared a priority for the G20's anti-corruption work this year, which Transparency International is watching closely at the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, these days. Some 4.7 billion people live in a country represented at the summit, so it is a huge opportunity to extend protection to almost two-thirds of the global population. 

The days when a civil servant, company employee, intern or consultant could be punished for reporting illegal activity can and should be consigned to history.

Let’s hope we can one day look back on 2019 as a turning point. Feedback is more than welcome – please email be at [email protected]