Anyone who has knowledge of improper conduct within an organization can express their disapproval and bring matters into the public agenda by the use of a hotline. Since 2002, the Congress Sarbanes-Oxley Act has made it law that every US public company must provide its own such system, enabling employees to report any wrong doings they may need to. Federal law protects the anonymity of the informant and ensures that there can be no reprisals in the workplace. The WhistleBlower hotline system sets out to uncover fraud, detect the unethical treatment of staff, and to safeguard firms from illegal activities.

Under the new regulations, firms must set up staffed telephone hotlines and provide e-mail access. Once an allegation has been made, a protocol should be in place to conduct the investigation. The accused parties should not be informed before the investigation is complete and a specified corrective course of action is enacted. Whistleblowers are the heroes and heroines in the modern era of fighting corporate corruption.

The medical field can benefit from WhistleBlower hotlines to expose false claims and scams perpetrated by doctors, patients and insurance companies. Unsafe or counterfeit equipment or drugs can cause death. Silence can be fatal. Unnecessarily prescribed medication and abuse of the Medicaid and Medicare programs cause millions of dollars in losses to the government. Exposure of such malpractice is beneficial to the nation as a whole.

Toxins and waste are illegally dumped in waterways and oceans. As environmental and green issues become evermore important, this is one area where whistleblowers can have a big impact. With the help of the Environmental Protection Agency, companies who practice these immoral acts can be brought to justice, and the world can be protected against toxic waste and dangerous chemicals.

In the military field, counterfeit parts are especially problematic. Soldiers are at risk of death because of unreliable gear. Loss of life can be prevented by the use of hotlines and fail-safes put in place under the Sabanes-Oxley Act to prevent sub-standard equipment being supplied to the fighting troops.

Illegal dumping of toxins and waste into oceans and waterways is a topical problem in a world where environmental issues are increasingly important. WhistleBlowers can keep these kinds of firms in check with the assistance of the Environmental Protection Agency. This protects mankind, flora and fauna from dangerous chemicals and toxins.

Health care facilities for the disabled and elderly, nursing homes and hospices are all prospective areas of abuses of good conduct. Here too, protection of the vulnerable is aided by the use of the new whistleblower laws. Hotlines can also put facilities under scrutiny when they undermine the Medicaid and Medicare systems by fraudulent behavior. These misdemeanors cost the public, through lost taxes and revenue, as well as causing insurance premiums to soar. Bringing such improper health care practices to the attention of the proper authorities is for the common good.

With the legislation now in place for these lines makes it far easier to submit an anonymous tip if your company is cheating on contracts for instance, so don't let it go unseen; there is a moral responsibility to do what benefits the majority. This is a powerful tool for gathering critical employee feedback. Hotlines have proven their ability to detect and deter corrupt behavior, and to protect businesses from economic crime. Employees prefer the telephone as a method to report malpractice. Virtually all organizations are vulnerable to fraudulent practices and the WhistleBlower hotline yields effective results.