To report my boss?

[Truckingalong]

Totally torn about what to do. I recently caught my boss out falsifying business data. She knows I know. She did it thinking id never find out. I didn't suspect a thing - I just stumbled across it by sheer chance. She is very senior, I'm reasonably senior and there is a good chance she could lose her job. I shouldn't know but I do know that she's already under investigation for something else that calls her character into question (financial wrong-doing) but I don't know what the outcome of it has been or whether it's still ongoing even. Every scenario is shit. I say nothing and feel compromised. I say something and she's sacked or disciplined and I have to carry on working with her. I say something but nothing is done about it, so we carry on working together with our relationship broken. She's lovely, a great boss and a likeable human being. My OH thinks I have to report. A colleague I've confided in says she's under a lot of pressure (she is), we all make bad calls and so let it go.

[LittleRedSparke]

You have to report - if you dont report you are complicit and could lose your own job and career

The only dilemma you have is if you warn her first (which is also illegal so i would advise against it)

[Pinkhousealreadyinuse]

Report it as it's the right thing to do. In addition, you could be held accountable if she is caught and it is discovered that you also knew about it and didn't say anything.

[atticusclaw2]

does your company have a whistle blowing policy? It is designed for this type of scenario.

Report it since if you do not and it comes out that you knew but did nothing you could also be disciplined. Do not tip her off since this could also get you into trouble.

[DamsonInDistress]

You have to report. A big problem is that she knows you know - If she's happy to commit fraud, it's but a small step to actively incriminating someone else. I'd be covering my own arse as much as possible frankly.

[Toffeelatteplease]

Report it.

[BrideOfWankenstein]

Report.

[PaulAnkaTheDog]

Report.

[Truckingalong]

That's exactly what my oh has said. He also said don't warn her about it but I didn't realise that this was a key part of the process. I haven't warned her as such but some of this was done over email and I did ask why I'd had an email saying xxxx. This was when I was still confused and genuinely trying to work out what was going on, until the penny dropped. I thought we had an ethics helpline, so I rang it for guidance but it turns out it's not an ethics helpline, it's for whistleblowing. Just that term alone doesn't sit easily with me, so I didn't continue on the call with them.

[MamaLazarou]

Report, report, report. Before you become culpable through association.

[ElderlyKoreanLady]

I'd be too paranoid not to. She knows you know. She knows if you report it she's probably going to lose her job. She may also know how to make it look like it was you. And she therefore might report you for it to eliminate the risk.

[FartyTette]

You must report. Does your company have a whistleblowing policy? Does that say how they will protect the whistleblower?

[Toffeelatteplease]

Frankly just because she appears nice you don't know what else she is doing behind the scenes .

[myotherusernameisbetter]

What is the impact of the data that she is falsifying?
Could it be discovered in a different way (that you could instigate)?
How long has this been going on?
How long has it gone on since you discovered it?

I don't think you can do nothing, but I equally don't think you can tip her off. But you could perhaps mitigate the fallout by the way you approach it. Would it be obvious to an auditor that you knew about it and would she drop you in it as being complicit if she was "discovered" or even put the blame on you?

Lots of questions sorry

[Truckingalong]

I only chucked in the 'she's nice' comment to paint a picture. She's one of the best we have in the business but this throws everything into doubt.

[FartyTette]

Are you a member of a professional body? If so you will be governed by their ethical guidelines. You shouldn't put your own professional career at risk by brushing this under the carpet. What if another colleague discovered this situation? By not reporting you would be complicit.

[GreenSand]

Whistle blowing in this case is the correct name for what needs to happen. When whistle blowing is massive, it hits the news, but what you have noticed also falls under the term.

You don't need to say how you know, or that you know it must be boss doing it, just what you've noticed, and what you think it means. Let them do the investigation.

[Truckingalong]

There is absolutely no way of her turning any of it on me. The responsibility lies squarely with her. There is no way of this data being picked up by anyone else or via an audit. Only I run these reports and have access to them and only I am responsible for providing the data. Given the nature of it, it wouldn't come up in an audit. If I were to report, it would be absolutely obvious that it's me.

[Truckingalong]

Global company but I'm not personally a member of a professional body, no.

[RattusRattus]

Yes, but there is clearly an email trail. By knowing your are therefore complicit. I'm afraid you have to look after no. 1 in this case and report.

[RattusRattus]

Horrible situation tho BTW. Feel for you.

[Wristy]

She's really not 'one of the best' though is she? You've already said she's under investigation for other issues.
She may well be a lovely person but that does not excuse her illegal activities. You have to report her.

[OfaFrenchmind2]

Hurry reporting it, and do not say anything to her. It may be harsh, but it is the law, and you are as liable as her if it is suspected that you knew and did nothing.

And no warning, it is also against the law.
Protect yourself OP, and report as quick as you can.

[CFSsucks]

I'd report because I'd be worried that when it eventually came out (and it probably will) I would get not trouble too because I knew and did nothing. For that reason alone you should report it.

[RattusRattus]

YY to the bit about doing it quickly. She knows that you know. She may take steps to protect herself which could be disastrous for you.

[Truckingalong]

The details of this are important but I won't go into them on here. Is there anyone who wouldn't mind reading through a more thorough explanation if I pm it?