Mark Ellis The House of Lords has voted to introduce a new duty to investigate whistleblowing concerns placing an obligation on employers to act when whistleblowers speak up. This would mean organisations with more than 50 staff, or a turnover of more than £10 million, will have to investigate the whistleblowing concerns that are brought to them.
Ever since the #Metoo movement began in 2017, non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) have been exposed as tools to silence victims of harassment and bullying. Now following years of campaigning an amendment has been introduced to the Employment Rights Bill to block employers from using such agreements. The detail is yet to be mapped out, as well as a timeline for implementation, but while there has been a resounding chorus of approval, some have voiced concerns that the ban could result in some unintended consequences. So, what does this really mean for both sides of the table?
A report into the behaviour of BBC Masterchef presenter Gregg Wallace has substantiated 45 allegations made against him. The report’s findings raise a number of questions regarding how allegations had been handled in the past – by both the BBC and the production company Banijay UK – and the inadequate whistleblowing systems and processes for raising complaints and concerns.The BBC has accepted that opportunities were missed to address poor behaviour – so what can others learn from this case?
The National Guardian’s Office – the home of Freedom to Speak Up guardians (FTSU) and the champion for openness and transparency within the NHS – is to close and merge within the workings of NHS England. It was created just over 9 years ago following the recommendations from Sir Robert Francis KC’s “Freedom to Speak Up” review. With a number of changes coming for the health sector, whistleblowing and ensuring staff are confident to speak up is more important than ever. So what’s next for speaking up in the NHS?
A Westminster Hall debate on the Contributions of Whistleblowers, held to mark World Whistleblowers Day, brought together key parliamentarians with strong opinions and perspectives on how the law and whistleblowing needs to be modernised. From exposing the lack of legal protections for self-employed people to pushing for a legal duty on employers to investigate matters that are raised by whistleblowers, the session included strong arguments that the whistleblowing legal framework is not working well enough, with the government minister Justin Madders, conceding the case for change.
With the world of work undergoing seismic shifts in recent years – from the acceleration of remote working to growing expectations around corporate ethics – we wanted to find out how today’s employees feel about whistleblowing and what this means for employers. Supported by LBG, we commission a You Gov survey* and held focus groups to probe workers of different ages on how they view whistleblowing and what employers could do to encourage them to speak up.
New research by the UK’s whistleblowing charity Protect shows that Gen-Z (those aged 18–24-year-olds) are less likely to blow the whistle to their employer compared to older generations. Across every area of potential wrongdoing – from health and safety to fraud and bullying – Gen Z were less likely to raise a concern with their employer compared to every other generation.
The 31st May 2025 marks sixty years of Employment Tribunals – colloquially known in the legal world as ETs. The ET is the final destination for whistleblowing cases – often a tortuous process that pits an individual whistleblower against the might of their employer’s legal team. Recent reports have shown that the UK employment tribunal backlog has hit record levels. Not good news for whistleblowers, as our latest blog explores…
May has seen the the Employment Rights Bill reach Committee Stage in the House of Lords, giving all members of the Lords an opportunity to speak and debate amendments. We’ve worked with a wide range of peers from across all parties to amass support for our proposals to modernise whistleblowing protection.
Join us for a World Whistleblowers’ Day event, on June 24th, 10:00am: “Attitudes to whistleblowing – from Gen Z to Baby Boomers”, in partnership with Lloyds Banking Group. Shining a spotlight on new research from Protect, the UK’s whistleblowing charity, into generational attitudes to whistleblowing and how this impacts speaking up amongst the workforce.
