Whistleblowing is the act of reporting suspected wrongdoing or risk of wrongdoing. A large number of wrongdoings are reported to organizations or other authority from employees within the organization. According to ACFE’s (Association of Certified Fraud Examiners) 2020 Report to the Nations, 43% of occupational frauds were detected by tips, half of those coming from employees. This has encouraged many organizations to consider improving their whistleblowing policies, creating safe channels for whistleblowers, as well as protecting and supporting them. ISO 37002’s guidelines for a WMS aim to provide just that.
An introduction to ISO 37002
Published in July 2021, ISO 37002 is an international standard that provides guidelines for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and improving a whistleblowing management system (WMS) based on the principles of trust, impartiality, and protection. It provides guidelines on a four-step process: receiving reports of wrongdoing, assessing them, addressing them, and concluding whistleblowing cases. Organizations using ISO 37002 to implement a WMS can achieve the following:
Benefits of ISO 37002
ISO 37002 guidelines provide guidance for organizations wishing to implement a whistleblowing management system or improve their existing whistleblowing policies and procedures. Implementing a WMS based on ISO 37002 demonstrates an organization’s commitment to effectively prevent, detect, and respond to wrongdoings. Additionally, it helps them encourage employees to report any wrongdoing when they see or detect it, knowing that they will be fully protected when doing so.
