Government takes action to support whistleblowing

Employees who blow the whistle on wrongdoing in the workplace will receive more information and support under new measures.

Employees who blow the whistle on wrongdoing in the workplace will receive more information and support under new measures to strengthen whistleblowing legislation announced by Employment Relations Minister Jenny Willott.

The changes, the result of a call for evidence by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, include:

improved guidance on how whistleblowing works for employees a new best practice guide to whistleblowing policies for employers reviewing the effectiveness of the current process for referring a case to the appropriate regulator the introduction of a duty on prescribed persons (eg regulators) to report annually on the number of cases they have received and whether these have been investigated updating the prescribed persons list, including designating MPs as a prescribed person giving relevant groups (eg student nurses) whistleblowing protections

The availability of clear information on who you can report wrongdoing to and how whistleblowing works in practice will give employees the confidence to come forward. Employers will also benefit from knowing what to do when an employee discloses wrongdoing.

Employment Relations Minister Jenny Willott said:

The changes we are making today (25 June 2014) will make the whistleblowing process more transparent and more effective. They will help employees speak out about wrongdoing without fear of reprisal, and help employers know how to act on these reports.

MPs will now be able to play a more prominent role in whistleblowing cases: people can go directly to their MP if their employer is not responding to their concerns, safe in the knowledge they will be protected from reprisals.

The government has also reaffirmed its position that claimants who win their case should have their employment tribunal costs reimbursed.

Work to implement these changes will begin immediately, with the change on disclosures to MPs already in place and the inclusion of a reporting duty on prescribed persons in the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill.

Share: