Swiss voters will decide on a new responsible business initiative
Keystone
More than one third of Swiss companies were affected by illegal and unethical behaviour within their organisation or in their supply chain last year.
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However, Swiss companies are less affected than average. This is the conclusion of the Whistleblowing 2025 report published today by the EQS Group and the Graubünden University of Applied Sciences (UAS).
+ Why big companies fear responsible business initiative
In the US, more than half of the companies analysed were affected by irregularities. Conversely, Italy and France are the only two countries under scrutiny whose companies are less affected than those in Switzerland, Christian Hauser of the SUP Graubünden told the media today.
However, according to Hauser, the material damage suffered by the affected Swiss companies was above average. In one fifth of cases, the damage caused by illegal or unethical behaviour amounted to at least CHF95,000.
With the help of the reporting and complaints offices, 40% were able to uncover more than two thirds of the total financial damage.
Diversity, workplace, safety
Swiss companies classified about half of the reports and complaints received as relevant and substantial, the report found. Notifications from their own employees related in particular to issues of diversity and respect in the workplace, human rights, occupational health and safety and data protection.
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Reports from outsiders were more often directed at accounting, auditing or financial reporting.
Two thirds of the whistleblowing offices of Swiss companies guarantee anonymity, compared to 42% of complaints offices. According to the study, only about one in ten cases involved an abusive report or complaint that was specifically intended to discredit the company or a person.
In total, the Whistleblowing 2025 report examined reports and complaints from 2,200 companies in Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Switzerland, Spain and the US.
A distinction was made between whistleblowing offices for internal employees and external complaints offices for customers or suppliers. In Switzerland, 57% of the 320 companies surveyed in the study have an internal whistleblowing office. By contrast, 64% have an external complaints office.
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Translated from Italian by DeepL/mga
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