The UK was an early adopter of specific whistleblower protection and this is reflected in cultural attitudes to the practice.
The introduction of whistleblowing legislation in the UK in 1998 has encouraged a corporate culture which supports those who voice concerns. Employers increasingly recognise that supporting this kind of challenge reflects a healthy working environment. Employees who are either aware of their legal rights in this area, or who are encouraged to speak up by whistleblowing policies in operation in their workplace, are now more empowered to voice concerns to their employers.
While the UK was the first European country to introduce protective laws for whistleblowers, there is an increasing focus and pressure on the UK Government to reform the current regime in favor of one which affords greater protection to those who may be whistleblowers in the employment context.
The UK Legal framework
The UK has afforded protection to those who raise concerns about potential wrongdoing in the workplace since the introduction of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998. If a disclosure is protected, then the person who made it will be protected from being dismissed or subjected to a detriment on grounds of that disclosure.
In order to attract protection, the worker must make a protected disclosure. In simple terms this can be broken down as follows:
ALTON - Eric Sykes, the executive director of Alton Little Theater, recently took to social media to address “a narrative circulating online that Alton Little Theater is somehow an unsafe space.” ...