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 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.
