Over the past few weeks, Australia has watched the unfolding events surrounding KPMG’s handling of whistleblower allegations. Much of the media attention has understandably focused on the allegations themselves, the parliamentary inquiry and the significant leadership changes that have followed.
But for me, the story raises a different question.
What happens to an employee long before they become known as “the whistleblower”?
Behind every headline is a person who, at some point, simply had a concern. They usually start by asking themselves much smaller questions.
“Am I seeing this correctly?”
“Should I say something?”
“Will anyone believe me?”
“What happens if I’m wrong?”
“Will this affect my career?”
For many employees, these questions are incredibly isolating. Often, they don’t need someone to investigate their concerns immediately. They don’t need legal advice. They don’t necessarily need counselling.
What they need first is somewhere safe to think. Someone trusted and independent to help them understand what they’re experiencing, explore their options and build the confidence to decide what to do next.
Unfortunately, when people don’t feel psychologically safe to raise concerns, or don’t trust that they will be heard, the consequences can extend far beyond the individual. Organisations may lose the opportunity to identify issues early or intervene before concerns escalate into formal complaints, investigations or public scrutiny.
The recent reporting about KPMG has highlighted questions not only about the underlying conduct, but also about how concerns were received and managed. KPMG has publicly acknowledged shortcomings in the way the whistleblower’s complaint was handled and has committed to strengthening its governance and whistleblower processes.
There is an important lesson here for every organisation:
Creating a whistleblower policy is important, but creating a culture where people feel safe enough to speak before they become a whistleblower is even more important.
At Ombpoint, we are not investigators. We are not decision-makers. We don’t advocate for either side of a workplace issue, nor do we replace an organisation’s internal reporting or whistleblower processes.
Instead, we provide something different. A confidential, impartial and independent space where employees and leaders can talk through difficult workplace situations before they escalate.
Sometimes that means helping someone work through whether what they’re experiencing is actually a workplace issue. Sometimes it means discussing the available internal reporting pathways and what they might expect from those processes. And sometimes, it simply means ensuring someone feels heard when they’re not yet sure where else to turn.
The KPMG story is a reminder that employees don’t experience workplaces through policies, they experience them through conversations, decisions and how they are treated when they raise concerns.
Providing access to an independent, impartial and confidential service like Ombpoint doesn’t replace those essential policies and processes. Rather, it complements them by giving people a trusted space to seek guidance, test their thinking and understand their options before concerns escalate.
Creating opportunities for those conversations early may be one of the most valuable investments an organisation can make.
