
Silence Broken As Whistleblowers Fuel Accountability
For entrepreneurs and startup leaders, embracing a 'see something, say something' mindset isn't simply an ethical box to check. Encouraging employees to speak up isn't just an ethical choice — it's a way to build lasting success, strengthen company culture, and prevent reputational or operational harm before it starts.
Yet many founders overlook just how much effort it takes to lay this cultural foundation. They focus on product-market fit, hiring, or scaling strategies — while assuming that ethical behavior will naturally fall into place. In truth, the opposite is often true: without clear signals from leadership, a startup's speed and intensity can create conditions where ethical missteps go unnoticed or unaddressed.
The silent risks hiding inside startups
Startups move fast — often too fast for their own good when it comes to ethics. Founders juggle multiple roles, teams adjust on the fly, and influence tends to concentrate in just a few hands. So when a problem surfaces, whether it's a small policy slip or a major ethical breach, the impact doesn't stay contained. It can spread across the whole company before anyone realizes what's happened.
In many startups, the voices leaders most need to hear go quiet — not because people don't care, but because they're unsure or afraid. Employees might hesitate to speak up out of fear of retaliation, damaging their reputation, or simply being seen as a troublemaker. And when leadership doesn't create clear, visible support for raising concerns, small problems are often left to fester until they turn into much bigger risks.
One real danger here is the normalization of deviance — when small ethical compromises become routine, paving the way for larger issues down the line. Leaders must remain vigilant and intentionally create systems that surface problems early, rather than hoping concerns will magically rise to the top.
Creating a culture of accountability isn't just about installing a hotline or drafting a code of conduct. It's about embedding ethical leadership and open communication into the DNA of the company — from the founder's behavior to the tools the organization uses.
Four ways to make speaking up part of your culture
To build an ethical, accountable startup culture, leaders need more than good intentions. They need actionable strategies — concrete steps that move beyond vague values statements and translate into everyday practices employees can trust.
Here are four essential ways entrepreneurial leaders can turn 'see something, say something' from a catchphrase into a lived, thriving part of their company culture.
1. Champion a culture of open communication
The best leaders don't just push information down the chain — they create space for real conversations. They make sure people know their input matters, even when the company is facing tough decisions or uncertainty. By following through on promises and staying open to feedback, leaders can slowly rebuild the trust that makes employees feel safe enough to raise concerns. When workplaces intentionally create space for honest dialogue — through team meetings, listening sessions, or routine check-ins — they lay the groundwork for a culture where people feel safe raising tough issues.
2. Lead by ethical example
Ethical leadership goes beyond good intentions; it's about daily action. Founders and leaders set the tone by upholding integrity, fairness, and respect — not just in policies, but in how they handle power, make decisions, and treat others. Modeling ethical behavior signals to teams that doing the right thing matters, even when shortcuts might bring faster wins. When leaders stay consistent with their values, they don't just strengthen trust — they also draw in great talent and earn the loyalty of both employees and customers alike.
3. Establish clear and trusted reporting mechanisms
Secure, anonymous reporting systems reduce the risk of retaliation, which has historically cost companies over $20 million in legal and operational fallout. Yet despite 52% of employees witnessing or experiencing misconduct, many choose not to report due to fear.
As Sara Kennedy, a compliance expert at StarCompliance, explains, tools like theirs help companies implement configurable, confidential systems that connect the dots across employee activities while protecting anonymity. When combined with clear communication, training, and leadership follow-through, these platforms create a psychologically safe environment where employees trust that speaking up will lead to fair action, protecting both people and the business.
4. Recognize 'seeing something, saying something' as a strength
While 97% of employees say they would report misconduct if they saw it, only 50% actually do. Why? Almost half fear retaliation, and nearly as many believe nothing will change. Leaders can flip this narrative by framing reporting as an act of strength and loyalty, not disloyalty. Recognizing and rewarding employees who raise concerns, avoiding retaliatory behaviors (even perceived ones), and making ethics a regular part of team conversations all help create a culture where transparency becomes the norm — not the exception.
Why accountability gives startups a competitive edge
In startups, every decision matters — and ethical leadership is at the heart of lasting success. When founders focus on transparency, offer safe ways for employees to report concerns, and lead with accountability, they set the stage for companies built to last — not just to check compliance boxes.
A startup's ability to survive often hinges as much on the integrity of its people as on the strength of its innovations. The leaders who recognize this aren't just building businesses; they're shaping cultures that can stand the test of time.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Lactalis boosts staff numbers in US with two factory investments
Lactalis is creating around 50 US jobs as the France-based dairy major invests in two factories in New York state. The world's largest dairy manufacturer is ploughing about $75m into its facilities in Walton and Buffalo to expand production of mozzarella and sour cream. Lactalis' projects will be supported by tax credits from the local Empire State Development fund - $750,000 for the Walton site and $550,000 for the Buffalo plant. According to a statement from New York State Governor Kathy Hochul and Esteve Torrens, the CEO of Lactalis's business in the US, the investment will ensure the retention of 800 full-time jobs across the two factories. The projects are expected to be completed in 2027. The facilities in Walton and Buffalo process 800 million pounds of raw milk annually from 236 local dairy farmers. Torrens said: 'Lactalis has two plants in New York state that are key to our growing business in the US. Our Buffalo plant is home to a significant ricotta and mozzarella production under the Galbani brand. Our Walton plant continues a rich tradition since 1882 of producing Breakstone's Sour Cream and is essential to strengthening our cottage cheese business in a rapidly growing category.' The Buffalo plant produces mozzarella, ricotta and provolone-style cheese under Lactalis' Galbani brand, and also whey powder. The investment for the site is part of the $123m committed by the company for Buffalo from 2020 to 2027. In this round, $60m has been earmarked for the installation of six new vats, the addition of a cheese belt and a robotic palletiser. Lactalis said 20 of the new jobs will be created at the Walton sour cream and cottage cheese plant as the factory undergoes a $15m modernisation project to expand production. It will include new fillers, air filters, laboratory equipment, new roofing and boiler upgrades. 'By investing in the Lactalis USA facilities and assisting with improvements, New York is retaining hundreds of jobs and adding new jobs, as well as helping to support the region's dairy farmers,' Hochul said. 'New York will continue to work with businesses in the agri-food sectors as they expand and grow to ensure good-paying jobs remain in our communities.' The Walton and Buffalo facilities are among the 11 manufacturing plants and corporate offices Lactalis has in the US, according to the statement. It also has sites in Illinois, New Hampshire, California, Wisconsin, Idaho, Vermont and Arizona. Lactalis' factory in Tulare in California was the recipient of a $55m investment last year for its Président brand. Meanwhile, Lactalis entered an agreement to acquire the US yogurt business of food peer General Mills in 2024. Further afield, the French dairy major is bidding for the assets of Fonterra's consumer business and the cooperative's dairy and ingredients foodservice businesses in Australia. The news emerged in May soon after reports surfaced that Canadian dairy giant Saputo, along with Japan's Meiji Holding Co. and US investment firm Warburg Pincus, were also among interested parties. "Lactalis boosts staff numbers in US with two factory investments" was originally created and published by Just Food, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Bessent Aims to Meet With Chinese Counterpart in Next Few Weeks
(Bloomberg) -- US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that he expected to meet with his Chinese counterpart in the coming weeks to advance discussions on trade and other issues between the world's two largest economies. Foreign Buyers Swoop on Cape Town Homes, Pricing Out Locals Trump's Gilded Design Style May Be Gaudy. But Don't Call it 'Rococo.' Are Tourists Ruining Europe? How Locals Are Pushing Back Massachusetts to Follow NYC in Making Landlords Pay Broker Fees In California, Pro-Housing 'Abundance' Fans Rewrite an Environmental Landmark 'I'm going to be meeting with my Chinese counterpart at sometime in the next couple of weeks,' Bessent said in an interview Monday on CNBC. 'We had good meetings in Geneva, in London. We both approached it with great respect' 'I think there are things for us to do together if the Chinese want to do it,' he added. 'So we will discuss whether we are able to move beyond trade into other areas.' While Bessent did not identify his counterpart by name, the Treasury secretary has engaged in the past with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. Lifeng led his country's delegation for talks in London last month with the US on trade. The US and China exchanged crippling tit-for-tat tariffs earlier this year that threatened to choke off trade, unnerving financial markets fearing the clash would spark a global downturn. Negotiations in Geneva and later in London saw the two nations agree to a truce under which Beijing agreed to ease the export of rare earth minerals critical to a slew of US industries ranging from chips, clean energy and transportation, in exchange for the US lifting some of its restrictions. Those minerals have held an outsized importance in discussions between the countries. Bessent last week cautioned that flows of those critical materials still had not returned to levels seen in April. Still, the framework between the US and China is far from comprehensive and there remain complicated questions to resolve, including Trump's concerns about fentanyl trafficking and his efforts to secure a deal for the divestiture of the American operations of social media app TikTok from its Chinese parent ByteDance Ltd. That deal requires Beijing's sign-off, giving the country a source of leverage to potentially extract concessions from the US on trade and other issues. Trump has said he has a prospective buyer for TikTok — an investor consortium that includes Oracle Corp., Blackstone and the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. SNAP Cuts in Big Tax Bill Will Hit a Lot of Trump Voters Too For Brazil's Criminals, Coffee Beans Are the Target Sperm Freezing Is a New Hot Market for Startups Pistachios Are Everywhere Right Now, Not Just in Dubai Chocolate China's Homegrown Jewelry Superstar ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Sign in to access your portfolio


Gizmodo
28 minutes ago
- Gizmodo
If You're a Prime Member, Amazon Is Including 2 Free AirTags for Prime Day
Apple is famously strict about discounts, and it rarely offers price drops even on the most affordable products. If you have to buy an AirTag, you'll usually pay $29 each on Apple's website. But this Prime Day, the prices are to be believed: a 4-pack of Apple AirTags for $67, which works out at about $16 an AirTag. To put it into perspective, four AirTags from Apple would run you $116 so this Prime Day discount is essentially… half price. The deal is only being offered to Prime members but if you aren't a member, you can just opt for the free 30-day trial in order to get access. If you don't need more than one, you can purchase the individual AirTag from Amazon for $22 rather than the normal price of $29. See 4-pack AirTags at Amazon See 1X AirTag at Amazon If you want an easy way of keeping tabs on your most valuable items, Apple's AirTag is a great choice. The AirTag is designed to help you find your keys, wallet, purses, backpack, or whatever you want to keep tabs on. It's as simple to pair an AirTag as it is to say: just bring it close to your iPhone or iPad and a one-touch setup will link it to your Apple ID immediately. You can then use the Find My app to locate your item at any time. The AirTag leverages Apple's massive Find My network and uses hundreds of millions of Apple devices to help you find lost things. When your AirTag is out of Bluetooth range, it can still be tracked by nearby Apple devices with communication encrypted and anonymous to maintain your information security. Your location data will never be transferred or stored on the AirTag itself. Precision Finding is another major advantage: It uses Ultra Wideband technology to take you directly to your lost item with compatible iPhone models. To find your keys throughout the house, you can make a sound from the internal speaker in the AirTag or ask Siri. If you've lost something in an airport or a coffee shop, you can put the AirTag in Lost Mode to receive a notification the instant it gets detected by another device on the Find My network. The AirTag is meant to last with a replaceable battery that still works after over a year and an IP67 rating for water and dust protection. That is, you can forget about rain, spills, or everyday bumps and drops. It's very small and light so you can stick it in a wallet, attach it to your keys or stash it in your bag without it adding bulk. At $67 for a 4-pack, this Prime Day deal is the best opportunity you'll find to upgrade (better than during Black Friday) your tracking game. See 4-pack AirTags at Amazon See 1X AirTag at Amazon