Fotaki et al. (2015) shows that retaliation takes many forms (from bullying to threatening, demotion, ostracism at the workplace and firing) and has been shown to have severe repercussions on both the mental and the physical health of whistleblowers (e.g. depression and symptoms analogous to post traumatic stress but also physical pain and diseases). The authors interviewed several whistleblowers. The study demonstrates that the participants experienced, among others, severe threatening behaviour by their employers, false claims of mental instability by their institution and requests to undergo medical counselling, panic attacks and other stress-related diseases, insomnia, abdominal diseases, psoriasis and other skin diseases, and cardiovascular diseases. The study concludes that whistleblowers experienced multiple instances of stress, anxiety and fear before and during the process. The retaliation deployed by organisations caused them to suffer from a variety of mental and physical conditions which were eventually used to delegitimise the whistleblower and their disclosures. (Study on the need for horizontal or further sectorial action at EU level to strengthen the protection of whistleblowers – Final Report submitted to the European Commission)

We were fascinated by the opinions in the room, which illustrated the depth of the moral issues we are dealing with and the passions they evoke. We left more convinced than ever that trying to establish effective systems to catch these issues internally, early on in their gestation, is both the most effective and the least damaging way to deal with them.

Recent research conducted by the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (ACCA) found that cultivating ‘speak up’ and whistleblowing policies can lead to an increased level of trust within organisations. Speaking up will become more engrained within the organisational culture when whistleblowing policies are implemented alongside a wider ethics and compliance programme, demonstrating that leadership cares not just that goals are achieved, but also how they are achieved. (UK Financial Services Whistleblowing Regulation Survey)

Many thanks for a wonderful day yesterday! It was a great opportunity to meet others in the field, hear some good talks, get speaking to whistleblowers, and to get some really excellent conversations going around these topics. I really found it fascinating, and was very pleased to be invited.

The material on ‘Costs of Speaking Out’ that you circulated, in particular, resonates amazingly accurately with my experience and I suspect you will find a great deal of that. This makes the research and its findings particularly valuable. For many whistleblowers, who are trying to have their rights protected and vindicated, access to solid empirical data, demonstrating that what is happening to them forms part of a well established pattern, would be extremely useful.