THIS WEEK’S TOPIC: Does Singapore need a universal whistleblower protection law?
THE current debate hinges upon the seemingly low protection for whistleblowers when it comes to civil liability such as defamation suits. There are advantages and disadvantages in having a universal whistleblower protection law in Singapore. One advantage if it becomes law is that proper compliance becomes mandatory and companies have to ensure that safeguards are in place to protect informants. This will adequately dispel the current sentiment of fear of recrimination and reprisal in the workplace.
The disadvantage would be if the law implies protection for a complainant who deliberately lodges a false complaint. This can happen if the complainant is aggravated by other issues in the workplace. Hence, robust measures need to be in place to ensure that such false alarms are not triggered. If not, productivity and credibility at the company level can be severely affected and run counter to the purpose of the law in the first place.
Ultimately, a comprehensive universal whistleblower protection law will be helpful, provided the above issues can be solved efficiently.
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