A recent Deloitte Conduct Watch Survey revealed that 91% of organisations in Asia Pacific implemented whistleblowing programmes in 2024, up from 87% in 2023, signalling a growing commitment to ethical practices. The survey also highlighted an increase in top management involvement, with 32% of C-suite executives overseeing whistleblowing policies, compared to 11% last year.
The report highlights the growing importance of whistleblowing programmes, which foster transparency, accountability, and ethical workplace cultures. Organisations have shown greater focus on financial integrity and fraud detection, with 28% prioritising these areas, up from 23% in 2023.
Over 65% of respondents ranked whistleblowing policies as a high priority, a significant jump from 58% last year.
However, communication of these policies remains inconsistent. Less than a quarter (24%) of organisations provide annual updates on whistleblowing programmes, and 44% do not adhere to any specific communication timeline. Deloitte urges organisations to refine their communication strategies to ensure clarity and trust among employees and stakeholders.
Despite progress, challenges persist in implementing whistleblowing programmes. Over 61% of the difficulties stem from employee concerns such as fear of retaliation and lack of awareness, though this marked an improvement from 2023 when 69% faced similar issues.
Deloitte emphasises the need for organisations to continuously refine whistleblowing frameworks to align with industry best practices, ensuring robust, responsive policies that enhance ethical governance and stakeholder trust.
The 2024 Conduct Watch Survey, conducted from 18 March to 2 May, engaged business leaders across the Asia Pacific, including Australia, China, India, Japan, and more.