Building a Discreet Online Portal for Anonymous Disclosures and Whistleblowing

With the current business landscape driven by a societal shift towards more ethical business practices – facilitating whistleblowing and anonymous disclosure reporting is vital.  Enabling reporting of potential misconduct provides an effective way for businesses – regardless of industry – to successfully identify issues before they become significant problems, and it simultaneously gives staff assurance that their complaints will be handled discreetly and not go unheard. 

When someone exposes unethical and illegal activity – usually at work – it must be reported so it can be escalated and dealt with. If that concern isn’t raised and remains undetected, it could lead to serious damage to the organization in question, the individual, or the wider society.

However, anonymous disclosures and blowing the whistle on issues such as unethical behavior, fraud, corruption, bullying, misconduct, and harassment have often been met with retaliation – making the decision to speak up a difficult one. This is why organizations large and small are encouraged to provide a safe, neutral, and confidential channel such as a discreet online portal for raising and addressing concerns. Using a reporting channel such as a whistleblowing & disclosures system makes it possible for someone to report wrongdoing in confidence and anonymously if they wish.

In this blog, we explore how to structure a best practice whistleblowing and disclosures process, we explain the importance of anonymous reporting, and we share how technology is empowering companies to build a secure, efficient, and user-friendly online portals for anonymous disclosures and whistleblowing.

Why is facilitating anonymous disclosures and whistleblowing important?

Establishing a process for whistleblowing and anonymous disclosures indicates that a business encourages its employees to speak up. When this is backed up with a respected whistleblowing policy, employees are actively encouraged to report internally rather than externally.

Creating a system for whistleblowing is also important for businesses as it is now a regulatory and legal requirement for many organizations. Businesses today have a legal obligation to implement a secure and effective channel to protect whistleblowers when they raise reports of fraud, corruption, or other misconduct.

In the EU, organizations under the EU Whistle blowing Directive which came into effect at the end of 2021 requires all EU member states to adopt the national whistleblowing law. Without exceptions, all EU member states must comply with the law forcing all companies, first with 250+ headcount and later with 50+ headcount, to implement a whistleblowing reporting channel. The law applies to both public and private sectors. The importance of whistleblowing is also true for all publicly traded companies in the United States where whistleblower systems are required under laws such as the Dodd-Frank Act and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

However regardless of any regulatory imperative – organizations stand to benefit from establishing a strong and open culture where disclosing misconduct and whistleblowing is encouraged and handled discreetly as it will minimize risks and costs. Misconduct that continues for an extended period ultimately becomes more expensive to resolve – whether the misconduct is a criminal legal violation, innocent errors that can leave the business exposed to risk, or workplace harassment that might lead to civil lawsuits.  When employees feel confident to speak up, leadership is inadvertently helping the company save resources in the long term while also reinforcing their corporate integrity.

Without a whistleblowing system, undetected misconduct may lead to large financial losses, and employees may disclose information externally which could be damaging to reputation. Misconduct can come in many forms – from financial crimes like fraud and theft, to harassment and policy violations and even a disregard for ESG factors; something investors are increasingly focused on as part of their analysis process. 

Under whistleblowing laws such as the one employed in the EU, reporting channels are required to be secure, guarantee anonymity, and permit feedback – something outdated solutions such as virtual and physical mailboxes and whistleblowing hotlines cannot guarantee. An effective whistleblowing system needs to be available to all stakeholders and ensure high levels of data security and anonymity, and confidential and timely communication and feedback with the whistleblower. 

What does a best practice whistleblowing and disclosure’s procedure look like?

A best practice whistleblowing and disclosures process should be designed to ensure that employees feel safe and supported when reporting unethical, illegal, or harmful activities within an organization. It begins with the establishment of clear, accessible, and confidential reporting channels. Many companies use methods such as an anonymous whistleblowing hotline, secure online forms, or dedicated email addresses, managed by independent third parties if necessary. More modern firms use GRC software to implement discreet portals for online whistleblowing & disclosures. These channels should be widely communicated to all employees, emphasizing the organization’s commitment to transparency and integrity.

The process should be supported by a robust whistleblower protection policy that clearly outlines the rights of whistleblowers, ensuring they are protected from retaliation, discrimination, or any negative consequences as a result of their disclosures. This policy should also detail the steps the organization will take to investigate reports, ensuring that all disclosures are treated seriously and acted upon promptly.  The process should include comprehensive training for all employees and management on how to recognize, report, and handle disclosures appropriately. Training should reinforce the importance of whistleblowing as a tool for safeguarding the organization’s ethical standards and compliance with laws and regulations. The process should also include a structured approach to investigating reports, where each disclosure is assessed impartially, and escalated to the right people, and clear timelines for action should be communicated to the whistleblower. Regular feedback should be provided to the whistleblower, keeping them informed of the progress and outcome of their report. Finally, the organization should foster a culture of openness and accountability, where employees are encouraged to speak up without fear and where whistleblowing is viewed as a positive contribution to the organization’s integrity and ethical governance.

What is an online portal for anonymous disclosures and whistleblowing?

An online portal enables staff to report misconduct and whistle blow discreetly by completing an online form. This process is usually facilitated by disclosures software – a platform that enables staff to complete online forms to submit reports of misconduct or to whistle blow anonymously. It enables staff to report serious misconduct related to violations of rules or company policy such as conflicts of interest, fraud, theft, corruption, and bribery. A compliance system for whistleblowing is used to record such reports in an easily comprehensible process that ensures the best possible protection of those involved.

Once an employee has logged a case of potential misconduct in the whistleblowing solution, the system will categorize and prioritize the incident based on the information provided and automated workflows escalate it to the appropriate stakeholders so it can be investigated. Automated workflows are used for the investigation process and case management – ensuring all resolution steps are fully documented in the platform.

The platforms offer live dashboards and reporting – so staff can easily view their outstanding tasks relating to escalations and outstanding actions. Firms can also run reports on incident types and resolution time to drive business decisions about where to introduce new policies, procedures, or training to prevent similar cases of misconduct occurring.

How does a discreet online portal work?

A discreet online portal gives employees the smoothest experience and confidence to speak up.

Setting up a discreet portal with online forms utilizing whistleblowing software makes it easy for employees to disclose problems or whistle blow. Employees can simply complete an online form to report a potential area of misconduct – while automated workflows escalate the incident to the relevant stakeholder.

All evidence is documented within the system and workflows enable teams to monitor each case until it is closed. The right software ensures the anonymity of those reporting and external portals can even be set up for vendors and clients.

Online portals can also be equipped with instant alerts while inbuilt case management and dashboards help drive performance, thus establishing a culture of integrity while providing the organization with tools and insights needed to correct misconduct and behavior that fails to align with its policies and values.

Case management helps teams handle everything in one place from communicating anonymously and securely with the whistleblower, to receiving alerts for new reports or deadlines, resolving incidents, and managing escalation workflows with automation.

With an online whistleblowing portal, businesses can also build custom anonymous surveys that users can access from any device.  Insightful feedback can be collected from employees, customers, and third parties without them having to worry that their identities will be revealed in their responses. Data stays secure with the use of preventive measures such as end-to-end encryption and multi-factor authentication. 

Why implement a discreet whistleblowing portal?

Formalizing a discreet way to report problems is crucial to uphold professional standards, prevent fraud & employee misconduct, ensure regulatory compliance, and preserve organizational integrity. Establishing effective channels for reporting concerns – and ensuring protection for whistleblowers – contributes to a workplace that prioritizes transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Having a confidential and anonymous whistleblowing platform also makes it easier for workers and other stakeholders to come forward. This not only demonstrates your commitment to your employees’ well-being, but also ensures that your teams can deal with issues and challenges effectively and rapidly.

Keeping your staff up-to-date, asking further questions, and providing support is crucial in an effective and efficient whistleblowing investigation.

How Camms can help?

With the Camms software for whistleblowing and disclosures, organizations can implement anonymous whistleblower portals to keep people and their organization connected in real time after making a disclosure. The discreet portal ensures secure communication between the parties involved in the case and will further strengthen your organization’s disclosure management process. Teams can also seamlessly and efficiently manage conflicts of interest (COI), prevent anti-bribery & corruption, perform sanctions checks, and implement a gifts & hospitality procedure in the same platform – to reduce risk, and ensure compliance.

Are you looking to build a discreet online whistleblowing portal that is easy to use, ticks all the boxes for anonymity, and has built-in workflows for managing multiple cases and more? Simply reach out to us for a demo of our compliance system for whistleblowing today!