Whistle blowers

Whistle blowers are sadly needed these days to bring corporations to book when they begin to feed their bottom line, with little respect for the stated aims of the organisation. Sadly the whistle blower becomes a pariah in the company and their life made a living hell for speaking out of turn irrespective of the validity of the whistle blowers case. 
The power of the powerful to close ranks and protect their own when threatened, in turn, threatening not only the whistle blower but other staff who might be tempted to support the blowers claim. Important things are hidden and bad, even dangerous practice allowed to continue.


Should there be legislation brought in to make it a duty to report things which in the organisation are deemed wrong and perhaps against the law. The Stafford Hospital was full of terrible practice, the Residential Home that allowed old people to be manhandled are two cases where a whistle blowing, whether mandatory or voluntary, would have eradicated the harm being done. But of course these events are at the far end of a spectrum and the danger that vindictive claims made by employees, would have a platform to launch all kind of claim and counter claim. 
There is also the emotional fact that it can create a subculture within the organisation that values litigation over communication and we know the damage to the greater society that the lawyers have created in offering the spectre of ambulance chasing. The legal profession are well versed in padding their income stream, to allow them another opportunity to fleece us once again seems a retrograde step.

What is needed is better protection for the whistle blower who perhaps, in the initial stage, be allowed anonymity whilst an independent body investigate the claim and if judged valid and a case is made, then the whistle blower as a witness, becomes known, they must be granted legal protection against vindictive action within the firm.