Mark Ellis From the start of September 2025, the rules on fraud got tougher. Under the new Failure to Prevent Fraud offence in the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (ECCTA), large organisations can now face unlimited fines if they benefit from fraud – even when senior leaders had no direct involvement. The message is clear: ignorance is not a defence and turning a blind eye is no longer an option.
Embedding the Code of Ethics is challenge for any employer. But how can we ensure staff engage with and embody their organisation’s beliefs and values? In this blog we look at one approach that flips ethics on its head and breaks down barriers to Speaking Up.
Protect is intervening in a case at the Court of Appeal that is due to examine a critical aspect of whistleblowing law that concerns the statutory routes to liability and compensation available to a whistleblowing employee when they have been dismissed and victimised.
When Rowaa Ahmar joined the energy giant Drax as Head of Public Affairs & Policy she didn’t expect to end up in the middle of a whistleblower tribunal exposing deep dysfunction within the company. After a BBC documentary exposed the firm’s sustainability claims and environmental credentials Rowaa became increasingly concerned that Drax had misled the public, the government and its regulator Ofgem.
Now concluded with a settlementher, her case has exposed troubling details about the allocation of millions of pounds in government subsidies, as well as serving as a challenging tale of speaking up to powerful executives.
On the afternoon on Monday 15th September the government voted to overturn an amendment in the Employment Rights Bill to strengthen protections for whistleblowers. The amendment – which had been voted in by peers in the House of Lords – would have required the government to broaden unfair dismissal grounds and, for the first time, require large employers to take reasonable steps to investigate whistleblowing concerns.
The long-awaited Public Office (Accountability) “Hillsborough” Bill has been published aimed at ending ‘the culture of cover-ups and hiding the truth, ensuring transparency, accountability, and support for bereaved families’. The closing of ranks and cover ups from people who should be protecting the public formed an all too depressing theme for many disasters including the Grenfell Tower fire, the Infected Blood Scandal and the Post Office/Horizon scandal. However, candour means always telling the truth – not just to coroners and inquiry chairs – and the Bill’s ambitious aims will not be realised if whistleblowers are too afraid to come forward, or if – when they do – their concerns are ignored.
Protect, the UK’s whistleblowing charity, is pleased to announce the appointment of Sybille Raphael as Joint Chief Executive Officer. In this new role, Sybille will work alongside the existing Chief Executive, Elizabeth Gardiner, in a flexible job-share.
NGOs from around the world have come together to urge the UK Government to strengthen its whistleblowing framework. In an open letter to the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, we call for the adoption of Clause 29 of the Employment Rights Bill – an amendment that would place a legal duty on employers to investigate concerns raised by staff and extend protections against unfair dismissal.
Whistleblowers are often the first to detect fraud, corruption, and safety failures. Protecting them is not only a moral obligation but an economic necessity. Early intervention saves money, lives and reputations. After decades of “lessons learned” but not acted upon, this government must ensure that the UK once again leads the way in whistleblowing protection.
Georgia* had been working in luxury retail for less than a year when she witnessed her manager overcharging a customer and pocketing the money. After raising through her company’s internal whistleblowing channel she was dismissed. After reaching out to Prot4ct for support she was eventually able to settle with her employer – avoiding the need to go all the way to the Employment Tribunal.
