Anonymous whistleblowing reports made to the Financial Conduct Authority have “skyrocketed” in 2022 since workers returned to the office, but overall reports remain down significantly in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic according to a new report.

A freedom of information request submitted to the FCA by German-based cash payment service Funanga has revealed that whistleblowing reports made by anonymous individuals have risen in 2022 compared to the same period in 2020 and 2021.

Funanga chief executive Jens Bader believes the increase shows a correlation between anonymous reporting and remote working.

In 2019, 28 per cent of all reports were submitted anonymously, this fell to 21 per cent in 2020 before increasing again in 2022.

On average, across 2021, 20 anonymous reports were submitted per month. To date in 2022 this figure has increased to 30 per month.

“Remote working may have had a positive effect on privacy, emboldening people to speak out about wrongdoing while working from home, without feeling the need to do so anonymously. Now that more people have returned to the office part-time or full-time, whistleblowers are once again seeking anonymity during the reporting process,” Bader said.

The FOI request also revealed that following a fall in whistleblowing reports made to the FCA during the pandemic - total reporting in 2021 was...

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