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‘What other lines are being stepped over?’: KPMG whistleblower scandal sparks hotline services shake-up

Independent providers are reporting rising interest from corporates, arguing hotlines should not be bundled with other services or used as a lead generation tool.

Jassmyn Goh
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Your Call co-founder Nathan Luker says it gets messy if a whistleblower hotline also conducts the investigation. Shutterstock/ Nanzeeba.

Whistleblower hotline providers argue their core function must remain strictly independent and not be used as a lead-generation tool, as they report a surge in interest from large corporate clients in the wake of the KPMG scandal.

KPMG is facing intense pressure from clients using its “FairCall” whistleblower hotline service after the firm mishandled a complaint made by one of its own employees.

Capital Brief revealed the Reserve Bank would not renew and instead retender its FairCall contract while the Australian National Audit Office and several other government agencies are reviewing their audit arrangements.

But KPMG is not the only consulting firm to offer a whistleblower hotline service to its clients.