CCR2 Compliance
Speaking up
Whistleblowing has an intriguing history, and also an important role to play in today’s industry
Richard Anderson Group legal and compliance director, Marston Holdings
When it comes to origins of whistleblowing, I prefer the English version to the American one. The story starts in 1829, when Sir Robert Peel set up the first professional police force in the world. ‘Peelers’ or ‘bobbies’, as they were known,
wore white trousers, a swallow-tailed coat with a leather collar to prevent garroting, and a rabbit-skin top hat – useful as a step to climb or see over walls. Bobbies also carried a regulation rattle, one of those wooden football rattles that
at all at 800 yards. The whistle could be clearly heard at 900 yards. The bobby whistle, as it was known, had
a slightly jarring, discordant trill to stand out over the London soundscape. The whistle had a rim around the mouthpiece so that it could be held in place with the teeth leaving hands free for a lantern and a truncheon. When it was not in use, the bobby whistle
would be on a pocket chain and hook clasp tucked into the second button down on the police uniform.
The most forward-thinking companies
now actively encourage and support staff who speak up, and legislators have moved to protect staff from dismissal or retaliation. At Marston, our Speak Up policy is
widely communicated across the group. We hope that staff will raise concerns openly, but we also recognise that they may want to raise concerns confidentially. Therefore, we have set up a confidential
hotline which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The hotline sits outside of our
The story goes that some merchants and tradesmen were permitted to wear bobby whistles around their neck to alert the police to pickpockets and thieves. This is where the term ‘whistleblower’ derives
line management and, instead, we use a whistleblowing service provider. We have set up our service so that a
clicks when you spin it round, useful for calling backup or raising the alarm. Victorian London was a noisy city. The
hustle and bustle of horses, carts, merchants, and town criers drowned out the rattle and it was not long before the police began looking for alternatives. In 1883, at Hounslow Heath rifle range, a
regulation rattle competed against a whistle. The official police tests showed the rattle could be heard faintly at 500 yards and not
24 The story goes that some merchants and
tradesmen were permitted to wear bobby whistles around their neck to alert the police to pickpockets and thieves. This is where the term ‘whistleblower’ derives – a member of the public who alerts the authorities. Sadly, the police phased out the bobby
whistle in 1963 with the introduction of police radio. The term whistleblowing survived and, in the 1970s, transferred across to the world of corporate governance.
www.CCRMagazine.co.uk
nominated director receives all reports, clearly demonstrating that malpractice and wrongdoing is taken seriously and is dealt with at the highest level. Our service provider follows up the report
to ensure it has been properly investigated and appropriate action has been taken. We are committed to the highest standards of openness, honesty and accountability. We believe that good governance is good
business and our Speak Up policy is one example of this. CCR2
June 2017
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