Should I report my boss for unethical practices?

Dear Caroline, 
I have recently become aware that my boss is engaging in unethical practices such as taking bribes in exchange for favours to clients and fiddling with the accounts. How do I handle this? I am afraid of the whole thing blowing up in my face if he denies it and covers his tracks.
Daniel
 
Hello Daniel,
It is unfortunate, and I am sure disappointing for you to discover that your boss is associated with unethical behaviour. It would be best if you were extremely careful in how you approach this matter. As a starting point, I would advise that you first review your company’s policy and fully understand its position regarding such behaviour. You are likely to find this information in the company’s code of conduct and its disciplinary process.

 In addition, you need to determine if the organisation has a Whistle-blowing policy in place. All organisations must have all these policies in place as they are organisational requirements as stated in the Employment and the Whistle-Blowers Protection Act. Once you have established that these policies exist, you may seek advice from the HR department. Your discussion with HR is not to inform them of what you have discovered but rather to clarify how such matters are managed.
 
My suggestion is to present the case as a hypothetical situation. This discussion will give you insights into how the process is handled and what information needs to be made available to manage the situation fairly. With this research and knowledge, you are now better positioned to decide how you would like to proceed. 

Before you decide what to do, it is essential that you have clarity and the facts that support your suspicion within yourself.  This includes making sure that you have the facts that point to the client’s participation. If your company has a whistle Blowing policy, you should follow the policy guidelines to report the matter. If the policy does not exist, my advice is to speak with the HR person and share your suspicion. 

However, it would be best if the HR Manager assures you that your reporting will not result in you being bullied or harassed due to reporting.  While it is right that such behaviour is reported,  at the end of the day, you must feel confident and trust that the organisation’s system will be fair to address bad practices while protecting those who bring the matter to the table for resolution. It is a tough call.

Caroline Mboijana,
Managing Director, The Leadership Team (U)  [email protected]