Even when wrongdoing is largely verbal, there are steps internal auditors can take to investigate ethics complaints.
Imagine that an employee comes to work one day and is asked to sign a document that does not reflect the actual situation within the organization. Perhaps it’s a financial statement, a supporting letter for another entity, confirmation of an account balance, or a response to industry-specific regulators. Because the document is inaccurate, the employee refuses to sign it. The situation escalates, and over the next few days, the employee is pressured from all sides to sign the document. Numerous people call the employee saying that he or she does not understand the necessity to sign the document. Perhaps the employee is told that signing the document is in the best interest of the organization and that signing it will have no negative consequences for him or her.
Read the full article by Maja Milosavljevic here.