Dentsu whistleblower reports up by almost half in 2024

The number of reports to Dentsu’s international complaints line increased by 44% year on year in 2024, according to the 2025 Dentsu Integrated Report published last week. 

The Speak Up portal, which operates across Dentsu globally, including in Japan, also tracks internal reports and recorded 314 cases in 2024 – up 44% on 2023, when there were 218 complaints. 

Internally Reported Complaints, which relate exclusively to Japan and are managed by a specific HR area, rose from 164 cases in 2023 to 177 cases in 2024 – up 8%. 

However, reports through the Compliance Line, also used specifically within Japan, recorded a decrease from 32 to 28 cases. According to Dentsu, this was due to the company encouraging employees “to consult with and report issues to the more unified group-wide consultation desk (Speak Up)”.

Issues raised in Compliance Line reports covered “internal harassment, improper treatment, fraud in business operations and misgivings about company systems”.

Commenting on the numbers, Dentsu said: "At Dentsu, we are committed to nurturing a culture where our people can innovate, thrive and feel empowered to act with integrity in everything we do. This is only possible in a working environment where our people feel safe to speak up. Our Speak Up portal demonstrates our commitment to creating an open and safe culture for our people.

“We stand behind those who speak up and have welcomed an increased number of reports over the last four years as we have raised awareness of the platform. 

“Despite a year-on-year increase in Speak Up reports, these increases are well within global norms for well-run and ethical companies. This indicates a healthy company culture, where employees feel safe to speak up, knowing that all reports are investigated with discretion and timely action.”

Dentsu Group’s annual report also revealed the total number of employees decreased by 4.8%, equal to 3460 employees globally, to 67,667 employees worldwide. 

Dentsu said: “Dentsu continuously balances its talent needs based on business and market demands and to ensure the right talent and capability to support the strategic direction of the business."

Last year, the holding company registered a doubling in reports to its international complaints line.

In 2023, Dentsu Japan was indicted by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office for alleged violations of the Antimonopoly Act related to bidding for pre-Games test events at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Following this, the company established a Mindset and Behaviour Reform committee in May 2023, which focused on reforms to enhance operational fairness and transparency, including preventing compliance issues.  

Dentsu's agencies include Carat, Dentsu Creative, Dentsu X, iProspect and Merkle.

As well as Dentsu, of the “big six” holding companies, WPP and Publicis Groupe also publish global complaint figures.

At Publicis Groupe the number of whistleblower reports more than doubled last year compared with 2023, rising by 116%, from 102 reports in 2023 to 221 cases in 2024. 

According to the holding company’s 2024 Annual Financial Report, out of the 221 cases, 94% were internal reports. 

A majority of the cases concerned HR topics, “mainly related to internal operations”, while 27% of issues related to fraud, corruption or conflict of interest. 

According to the report, the increase is “due to strengthened internal communication”, as well as the introduction of an Ethics Concerns platform, where the company can receive both internal and external complaints.

Meanwhile, WPP’s whistleblower reports remained steady in the past two years. According to its 2024 Annual Report and Accounts, it received 609 whistleblower reports in 2024 compared with 612 reports in 2023, representing a 0.5% drop. 

The company also operates a Right to Speak hotline, with 507 of the reports received through this channel in 2024. 

The most common concerns were “respect in the workplace and protection of WPP’s assets”. 

Whistleblower reports are also analysed for risk impact.

The biggest identified risk impact remained people, representing 66% of complaints. This is up on 64% in 2023. The second largest risk impact was legal and regulatory (13%), followed by financial (8%), clients (6%), operational (5%) and data privacy, security and ethics (2%).

Publicis and WPP declined to comment.