Blueprint for Free Speech

What happens when an employee tells their manager something they don't want to hear? The first reaction can make all the difference. In the latest episode of the German Personalmanagement podcast, our STAIRS colleague Philipp Wissing from Blueprint for Free Speech discusses why speak-up culture is a leadership responsibility — and why reporting channels alone are not enough. The conversation also explores the role of psychological safety, HR and organisational culture in protecting those who speak up. 🎧 Listen to the episode (in German) below. #STAIRSProject #Whistleblowing #SpeakUpCulture #Leadership #WhistleblowerProtection

Bulgaria’s new anti-SLAPP law goes beyond the EU directive against abusive cross-border lawsuits used to silence the media, offering protection in domestic cases too. It allows for unfounded claims to be thrown out early, gives courts tight deadlines for rulings, and limits punitive interim measures. The law has been welcomed as a major step forward in a country ranked low in press freedom. #SLAPPs #Bulgaria https://lnkd.in/eDD5xWwy

Wenn Mitarbeitende Mut brauchen, um Probleme anzusprechen, stimmt etwas nicht. Dieser Gedanke ist mir aus meiner neuen Folge des Podcast Personalmanagement besonders hängen geblieben. Ich kenne die Thematik von beiden Seiten sozusagen – als Arbeitnehmer UND Arbeitgeber. Beide Seiten sind betroffen… … denn wir sprechen zwar viel über Feedbackkultur, Vertrauen und psychologische Sicherheit. Aber wie belastbar ist diese Kultur wirklich, wenn jemand sagt: „Hier läuft etwas schief“? Genau dann zeigt sich, was Offenheit tatsächlich wert ist. Mitarbeitende beobachten schließlich sehr genau, was passiert, wenn jemand widerspricht, Risiken benennt oder unangenehme Wahrheiten ausspricht. Das ist dann der entscheidende Punkt: Wird zugehört, wird nachgefragt? Oder wird eher relativiert, abgewehrt und vermittelt? Die Folge: Wenn Menschen irgendwann zu dem Schluss kommen, dass Schweigen für sie persönlich die sicherere Entscheidung ist, hat nicht nur der einzelne Mitarbeitende ein Problem - dann hat auch die Organisation eines. Darüber habe ich mit Philipp Wissing von Blueprint for Free Speech gesprochen, und zwar ganz nah an der Wirklichkeit in Unternehmen: Ich habe es sehr geschätzt, mit welcher differenzierten Perspektive Philipp auf Whistleblowing und Hinweisgeberschutz schaut: nicht allein aus der rechtlichen oder Compliance-Perspektive, sondern vor allem mit Blick auf Menschen, Organisationen und die Kultur, in der sie arbeiten. Auch seine Arbeit im europäischen Projekt STAIRS setzt hier an und beschäftigt sich damit, den Zugang zu Informationen über Hinweisgeberschutz zu verbessern und das Thema stärker ins Bewusstsein zu bringen. In unserer neuen Folge „Speak-up-Kultur als Leadership-Aufgabe: Warum Schweigen zum Risiko wird“ sprechen wir unter anderem darüber: - warum Mitarbeitende schweigen, obwohl sie Probleme längst erkannt haben - weshalb eine Meldestelle noch keine Speak-up-Kultur schafft - was Feedbackkultur von echter Speak-up-Kultur unterscheidet - warum psychologische Sicherheit vor allem im unmittelbaren Team entsteht - welche enorme Bedeutung die erste Reaktion einer Führungskraft auf schlechte Nachrichten hat - welche Warnsignale zeigen, dass in einer Organisation zu viel geschwiegen wird - warum HR, Leadership und Compliance gemeinsam gefragt sind - wie Speak-up-Kultur in Führungskräfteentwicklung, Recruiting und Onboarding verankert werden kann Für mich steckt darin übrigens auch eine zentrale Leadership-Frage: Wie gehen wir mit Informationen um, die wir eigentlich nicht hören wollen? Die neue Folge des Podcast Personalmanagement ist jetzt online (Danke an Sonja Kirste fürs Organisieren!): https://lnkd.in/eVDQp8Hq #Personalmanagement #Leadership #SpeakUp #SpeakUpKultur #Whistleblowing #PsychologischeSicherheit #Unternehmenskultur #Hinweisgeberschutz #HumanResources #HR #Führungskultur

In what has been described as the biggest national security breach since the cold war and Germany’s biggest espionage scandal of the century, former head of German foreign intelligence, August Hanning, has been arrested on suspicion of treason. The federal prosecutor’s office announced the 80-year-old faces charges of espionage and passing on state secrets to a foreign power. The foreign services that Hanning is accused of spying for were not disclosed. Hanning headed the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND) from 1998 to 2005 before moving to the interior ministry, where he worked as state secretary until 2009. Another former high-ranking member of Germany’s intelligence service named as “Manfred D”, was also arrested on suspicion of providing Hanning with hundreds of classified documents in exchange for money. He had previously worked as Hanning’s chief of staff, and followed him to the interior ministry. After Hanning’s retirement, Manfred D returned to work as chief of staff for the agency from 2012 until his departure earlier this year, providing him with top-level access. The investigation into Hanning reportedly began after he was implicated alongside former Israeli intelligence agents in a separate case involving German steakhouse heiress Christina Block and the abduction of her children from her ex-husband in Denmark. He denies any involvement in that case. #GermanSpyScandal https://lnkd.in/dsHqhmBU

MP’s say the suicide of Epstein whistleblower Simon Andriesz raises “deeply troubling questions” about how whistleblowers are treated when they approach the UK’s financial regulator with allegations of wrongdoing and retaliation. Andriesz had uncovered shady dealings by global brokerage BGC Group, run by Howard Lutnick before he was appointed US commerce secretary, and business links between Lutnick and Epstein. He’d brought his concerns to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), but says little action was taken. BGC has denied the allegations. Weeks before his death, Andriesz told a public meeting hosted by the campaign group Transparency Task Force that the FCA merely “pays lip service” to its regulatory obligations to protect whistleblowers and act on their complaints. “It protects the institution and then exposes the whistleblower to extreme retaliation and devastation to their lives and families,” he said. His family said that he had taken his own life in Thailand last month, and there was no suggestion of foul play. The MPs have called for an external inquiry into how the FCA treats whistleblowers. #SimonAndriesz #Whistleblowers https://lnkd.in/dGXFf6bA

Newly unsealed and unredacted court filings reveal astonishing admissions by tech executives about the impact their wholesale pillage of proprietary content is having on original content creation. The illusion that AI companies can be trusted to act in good faith has been decisively shattered. For more: 👇️ #Microsoft #OpenAI https://lnkd.in/dBimDp7R

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that OpenAI has fired three researchers – Jasmine Wang, Tomek Korbak, and Mikita Balesni – for alleged misconduct, including sharing data with an AI safety group. Korbak was a member of the company’s safety team, while Wang and Balesni worked in alignment, which ensures AI behaves in line with human intentions and values. OpenAI says they were fired for mishandling sensitive information, not because they raised safety concerns. But the incident adds to scepticism about AI companies policing their own safety standards amid growing pressure to submit to independent testing. #OpenAI #AIsafety https://lnkd.in/dd6U6Jdu

The fallout from KPMG Australia's whistleblower scandal continues. Yesterday the company announced the departure of its global general counsel, Anne Collins, who came under fire for the way she handled allegations that the firm had misused confidential client information to win contracts. Her departure is seen as part of a broader leadership reshuffle in the wake of the scandal engulfing the audit firm. She is the latest in a string of executives and partners to quit or be fired. Meanwhile The Australian is reporting that ANZ Bank became the latest client to dump the firm. KPMG had provided external audit services to the bank for 57 years. #KPMG #Australia https://lnkd.in/dYZ2p-Gw

US tech giants are splurging on lobbying in Brussels to water down the EU’s digital rule book – including by making it easier for AI companies to harvest personal data for model training. According to an analysis by the FT of the EU’s transparency register and meeting databases, Google, Apple and Amazon each hold more meetings with European parliament and European Commission officials than any single European company. They also spend more money. Top lobbyist is Google, which has held 302 meetings with senior EC officials and members of the European Parliament since the EU elections in June 2024. Apple held 257 meetings and Amazon 239. The increasing use of money and access by tech companies to try to ease EU safety regulations does not bode well for efforts to manage existential risks posed by AI. #TechLobbying #AISafety https://lnkd.in/d7jNSCft