Speak up at work: a simple guide to safe, trusted reporting

Most organisations say they want people to speak up. Fewer design a process that feels safe, simple and worth the effort. In this first episode of our Trust at work series, we sit down with David Morgan, Managing Director for Whistleblower Technology Solutions at Veremark, to unpack what “speak up” really means, why trust breaks down, and how to build a reporting experience employees will actually use.

Speak up vs whistleblowing: why the words matter

“Speak up” is the culture. It is the day-to-day comfort people feel to raise concerns, ideas or observations with colleagues and managers. When that culture is healthy, teams solve problems earlier, share ideas more freely and perform better. “Whistleblowing” is the formal channel for more serious allegations. You need both. The language you use in policies, training and tooling should make it clear that informal, constructive conversations are encouraged and that there is also a safe, independent route when something serious needs to be raised.

Write policies people can actually use

Regulations may require a formal whistleblowing policy, but nothing says it must be dense or intimidating. The best policies are short, plain-English and easy to navigate. They explain who can report, what can be reported, how anonymity works, and what happens next. They are also easy to find. If an employee has to hunt for the policy or struggle through a form with 40 fields, you have already lost trust.

Where issues usually begin

Most cases do not start as grand scandals. They begin as day-to-day unfairness: poor behaviour from a manager, cliques forming, criticism delivered without care. Left unaddressed, those moments erode trust. People stop sharing, stop challenging, and problems grow in the dark. Sometimes there is genuine misconduct under the surface, such as timesheet abuse. If leaders model bad behaviour, others follow or look the other way. A credible speak-up route gives teams a safe way to surface concerns before they harden into something bigger.

Why people stay silent

Silence is often learned. Many employees have tried raising an issue and been ignored or punished for it. Others fear retaliation from a manager or a tight-knit peer group. If the last person who spoke up was sidelined, word spreads. Rebuilding confidence takes design and follow-through: quick acknowledgement, clear next steps, and visible examples of issues being handled fairly.

Be honest about anonymity

Anonymous reporting has a place, but do not oversell it. If you invite anonymous reports, you must also create a way to communicate two-way without revealing identity, so you can ask clarifying questions and share updates. Be clear about limits: some allegations cannot be tested without details, and some laws impose strict confidentiality rules. The goal is not to collect anonymous tips you cannot progress. It is to protect reporters while still doing real work on the facts.

The first 24 hours

Speed signals seriousness. When a formal report lands, acknowledge it quickly and start basic triage. That means reading the claim carefully, checking what evidence or access you will need, and deciding who should be involved. A fast, human response does more for trust than any slogan.

Triage and ownership

Assign a case owner with the right independence and skills. Involve HR, Legal or Compliance as the content demands, but protect confidentiality and the reporter’s identity. Early questions should be factual and neutral: what happened, when, where, who was present, and what evidence exists. Avoid speculation, labels or performance histories at this stage. You are collecting facts.

What “fair” looks like in an investigation

Treat the reporter as a key witness, not a problem to manage. Gather evidence methodically, interview relevant parties, and keep an open mind. There are always two sides to a story. When businesses skip steps or appear biased, they do not just risk a wrong outcome. They create resentment that later turns into litigation or media attention. Fairness is both process and perception.

Metrics that actually help

There is no magic number of cases. Volume depends on size, sector and maturity. A complete absence of reports can be as worrying as a flood. Track the basics: how people report, how long triage takes, investigation timelines, substantiation rates, and whether reporters receive meaningful updates. Look for patterns by team or location. Use the data to improve training, leadership and case handling, not to hit arbitrary targets.

Small versus large organisations

In a 50-person firm, one well-trained leader may own the process. In a 20,000-person, multi-country business, you will need clear global standards, local routes, and an independent channel outside line management. Make internal options visible, but also explain external ones. In some situations, regulators or even the press will play a role in bringing long-running misconduct to light. Your job is to make the internal path credible enough that people choose it first.

Your first practical step

Start with design. Map the journey from “I have a concern” to “I understand the outcome.” Define who handles what, when confidentiality applies, and how anonymity is managed. Align your whistleblowing policy with adjacent conduct policies so employees see one coherent system rather than a maze.

If there is one thing we will leave you with, it is this

If there is one thing we will leave you with, it is this: make speaking up feel safe and worth it. Keep the front door simple, respond fast, separate investigation from line management, and close the loop with clear, human updates.

Want the full walk-through with real cases? Register to watch David Morgan on demand today.