Making non-retaliation realistic
Unfortunately, many of those who speak up face retaliation. One study suggested two-thirds of whistleblowers had experienced retaliation. Other studies cite lower figures. For example, The National Law Review reported that 23% of respondents in 2020 had suffered retaliation; in 2021, 24% said the same.
Whatever the number, it isn’t good. If people don’t feel safe speaking up or see others face retribution, bad things will (continue to) happen.
In my daily work with organisations I often ask about non-retaliation. And in our Compliance Maturity Scorecard quiz we asked respondents if they had a framework to prevent retaliation on a scale from disagree to agree.
It is encouraging to see that 21% of respondents 👇 were on the furthest edge of the agree spectrum, with 17% in slightly less agreement. However, it is concerning that 30% (17% + 13%) were either not voting or strongly disagreeing. The largest number (25%) were voting two on a scale up to five points, which is also a concern.
Admittedly, the sample size isn’t huge (38 organisations). Still, retaliation in the workplace can have serious consequences, not only for the individuals involved but also for the overall company culture and reputation. Organisations must go beyond policies to operationalising procedures to prevent and address retaliation and create a culture of openness and trust where employees feel safe speaking up without fear of reprisal.
To do that, we need to look at different types of retaliation.
Contact me if you’d like to discuss the systems others use to create robust, non-retaliation frameworks, recognising it is often subtle and delayed (long after making the allegation).
If you’re curious how your organisation would compare on this (and other compliance maturity metrics), take the Compliance Maturity Scorecard quiz now and take proactive steps to ensure that your organisation is equipped to create foster a culture of integrity and accountability. Visit https://compliancematurity.scoreapp.com to get started.