Case IQ Research Study: AI and Whistleblowing: Through the Employee Lens (USA)
Study Overview
The primary objective of this study was to examine employee perceptions and experiences related to whistleblowing across five countries—USA, Canada, Australia, France, and Brazil. This report focuses on the United States. The research aimed to assess how comfortable employees feel reporting misconduct, their confidence in organizational protection against retaliation, and the perceived effectiveness of whistleblowing programs. Additionally, the study explored the role of organizational culture and leadership in fostering ethical behavior, and evaluated attitudes toward the use of AI-driven whistleblowing tools. By comparing responses across diverse cultural and organizational contexts, the study sought to identify key factors that influence whistleblowing behavior and inform best practices for creating safer, more transparent reporting environments globally.
This was a cross-national quantitative survey conducted across five countries: the USA, Canada, Australia, France, and Brazil. Total Respondents: Approximately 1,090 participants. Country Samples: Each country had a sample size ranging from 210 to 226 respondents. Collected demographics included gender, age, job tenure, customer-facing role (desk-based vs. deskless), and ethnicity (in country-specific files). The survey included both frequency-based and scale-based questions, with responses to scale-based questions measured on Likert-type scales (typically 1–5). Openended (qualitative) responses were also recorded. ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) was used to compare means across countries for key variables. Data were collected through online recruitment platforms (i.e., via online survey platforms) with standardized questions across all countries to ensure comparability.
Workplace Incidents & Reporting
In the US, over 80% of employees witnessed misconduct at work. That’s the largest percentage across the different countries surveyed (Brazil=75%, Canada=58%, Australia=50%, France=48%), revealing a significant exposure to risk, ethical failure, or policy violations across US organizations. Yet only 58% of employees say their organization has a whistleblower program and provides clear guidelines on how to report misconduct. Based on that finding, it is not surprising that a disconnect exists between witnessing an incident and reporting an incident. Of those who witnessed an incident, approximately 73% reported it. This reporting gap is influenced by fear, distrust, or a lack of clarity on how to report an incident.
Whistleblowing Programs & Company Culture
As mentioned above, about 58% of US organizations have a whistleblowing program with clear guidelines on how to report workplace incidents. This means 42% of organizations either do not have a program or employees are unsure if one exists, which is a frightening result considering over 80% of US employees have witnessed workplace wrongdoing, as reported earlier. This represents a significant organizational risk—these employees are likely to stay silent or go outside the company (e.g., to regulators or social media).
The good news is that among those employees whose organizations do have a whistleblowing program, 84% view it as effective (see table below). This speaks to the power of a formal whistleblowing solution that not only protects the company but inspires confidence among employees that they can report incidents safely.
An ethical culture is a must-have requirement to foster a safe, speak up culture. Senior leaders among US organizations get high marks for doing so, with nearly 78% of respondents believing that their senior leadership teams promote a culture of ethical behavior and accountability.
Artificial Intelligence
It feels as if AI touches or will touch every aspect of our personal and professional life, and incident reporting/whistleblowing is no different. The frequency with which AI is discussed may be contributing to a surprising result: Nearly 7 in 10 US employees express no concern about AI-driven whistleblowing tools. This makes the US significantly more AI-receptive than other regions, where AI trust was more fragile (e.g., France, Canada).
Still, approximately 20% of US respondents expressed concern about AI, which is still a material concern, especially for systems that depend on user trust and adoption. Concerns from this cohort include data privacy and traceability (e.g., “Can it be traced to me?”), misinterpretation, lack of human judgment, and skepticism about oversight and fairness. However, employees are open to AI solutions if those tools increase anonymity, ease of use, and perceived fairness. As stated in the previous section,
employees would be more comfortable reporting an incident to an AI Chatbot or AI Voice bot than directly reporting the violation to HR.
Employees are favorable towards AI; however, an overwhelming majority demand AI transparency. 83% of U.S. employees believe companies should be required to explain how AI is used in whistleblowing tools. Put another way, employees don’t reject AI. They reject opacity. With an overwhelming majority of employees supporting mandatory AI disclosure, companies that withhold this information risk:
- Losing trust
- Triggering internal resistance
- Being viewed as ethically negligent
To read our full findings and recommendations, read the report.
About the Author
Shannon Walker is the Founder and President of WhistleBlower Security Inc. and the Executive VP of Strategy at Case IQ. WBS was founded in 2005 and acquired by Case IQ in 2023 after years of partnering on global intake solutions for mutual clients. Shannon is a thought leader on whistleblowing, ethics, corporate culture, and diversity in the workplace. A former elected City Official, Shannon has also sat on numerous non-profit and community boards and is currently on the BC Epilepsy Society Board.
About the Researcher
Dr. Rene Arseneault is an assistant professor of human resources at the University of Laval. His research focuses include recruitment and selection, personality, job design, and cross-cultural differences in the workplace. He has published over a dozen academic, peer-reviewed articles and presented his work at top-tier conferences worldwide.
