20 minutes
1 module
NOTE
This short course can be customised to align with your organisation’s whistleblowing policy, reporting channels, ethics hotline, escalation process, anti-retaliation rules and workplace conduct expectations.
It is often used as part of a broader ethics, anti-bribery and corruption, preventing fraud, competition law, health and safety or workplace conduct awareness programme.
overview
Speaking up needs clear routes
This short course gives employees and managers a general understanding of workplace whistleblowing.
It explains what kinds of unlawful or unethical conduct may need to be reported, which reporting routes may be available and what protection may apply under the Protected Disclosures Act.
Employees may become aware of fraud, corruption, harassment, discrimination, safety risks, conflicts of interest, abuse of authority or other misconduct before anyone else has a complete picture of what happened. The course helps employees recognise when a concern may need to be raised and understand the procedures that should be followed.
The course
Understand when to speak up
The course covers what whistleblowing is, who may make a protected disclosure, the types of misconduct that may be reported and the purpose of the Protected Disclosures Act.
It also explains internal and certain external reporting routes, the protections that may apply, victimisation in the workplace and what an employee can do if they believe they have been victimised.
Scenario-based examples connect these principles to workplace situations. The course provides employee awareness rather than legal advice, investigation training or specialist disclosure-handling instruction.
In practice
People are more likely to speak up when they understand the concern, the route and the protection.
Course fit
Workforce awareness, not investigation training
The course is suitable for employees and managers who need the same baseline understanding of whistleblowing, reporting procedures, protection and victimisation.
It is not specialist training for managers or members of HR, Legal, Compliance, Audit or Ethics teams who are responsible for receiving, documenting, assessing, escalating or investigating disclosures.
Where that capability is required, disclosure-handling or investigation training should be scoped separately.
Give employees a clearer basis for raising workplace concerns.
Got questions? Start here.
Who is this whistleblowing training for?
The course is designed for employees and managers who need general awareness of workplace whistleblowing.
It can be delivered across the organisation or assigned to particular groups exposed to fraud, corruption, harassment, discrimination, safety, competition law, financial misconduct or other workplace conduct risks.
Is this whistleblowing training relevant for South African organisations?
Yes. The course is designed for South African workplaces and covers the purpose and main principles of the Protected Disclosures Act.
It explains who may make a protected disclosure, the types of misconduct that may be reported, the procedures relevant to protection and the occupational detriment or victimisation against which a whistleblower may be protected.
What does the whistleblowing course teach?
Employees learn what whistleblowing means, what kinds of workplace wrongdoing may be reported, which internal or external reporting routes may be available and what protection may apply.
The course also explains victimisation, the importance of following recognised reporting procedures and what employees can do if they believe they have been victimised after raising a concern.
Will managers learn how to handle a disclosure correctly?
Managers can complete the course for the same baseline awareness provided to employees. However, it is not specialist training on receiving or managing a disclosure.
It does not cover disclosure intake, confidentiality, documentation, triage, investigation, evidence preservation or case management. These responsibilities should be addressed through separate manager or specialist training where required.
Can the course be customised for our organisation?
Yes. The course can be customised to reflect your approved whistleblowing policy, internal reporting channels, ethics hotline, designated contacts, escalation procedures and rules relating to victimisation or retaliation.
This allows employees to connect the general principles in the course to the reporting arrangements they are expected to use inside the organisation.
How do we know whether this is the right course for our needs?
This course is suitable where employees and managers need short, general awareness of whistleblowing, the Protected Disclosures Act, reporting routes, protection and victimisation.
Members of Compliance, HR, Audit, Legal or Ethics teams may also complete it for baseline awareness. It is not sufficient on its own where the organisation needs policy drafting, hotline implementation, investigation training, legal advice or specialist instruction for people responsible for handling disclosures.
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