Protect – Speak up stop harm

Free, confidential whistleblowing advice
Call us on 020 3117 2520 or email us

Donate
Protect – Speak up stop harm
Donate

Free, confidential whistleblowing advice
Call us on 020 3117 2520 or email us

Blowing the whistle on environmental damage – what workers need to know

by
The COP26 climate talks and the actions surrounding the conference, have served as a stark reminder that drastic action must be taken now to prevent climate catastrophe. As António Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations, warned at the beginning of the COP26, “Either we stop it, or it stops us.” At Protect, we recognise ... Read more

Disclosures, public interest & the Official Secrets Act

by
At Protect, we believe that whistleblowing is a bedrock of our democracy and crucial to holding the government accountable, detecting fraud and preventing serious wrongdoing. The Official Secrets Act 1989 (the “OSA”) ensures civil servants keep some key national security information confidential but should not prevent whistleblowing altogether. A workshop on ‘Civil Society, National Security, ... Read more

Whistleblowing report finds minimum wage complaints at lowest level in four years

by
A report by law firm Pinsent Masons has found whistleblower reports of national minimum wage violations fell to just 2,488 for the past year, down from 2,580 in the previous 12 months – and the lowest level in four years.   Pinsent Masons said that although extensive furlough in hospitality and retail sectors during the pandemic was partly responsible for the decline in ... Read more

Regulator whistleblowing reports shows huge variation in case number and action taken

by
October is reporting month for ‘Prescribed Persons’ regulators who have a duty to publish their annual reports on the whistleblowing disclosures they receive each year, including information on the number of disclosures received, the number requiring further action, and the types of action taken – and the numbers received by regulators over 2020/21 varies widely.   Regulators designated ‘prescribed persons’ under UK whistleblowing law have  since 2017,   been required to publish ... Read more

Serota Review into BBC recognises role whistleblowing plays in good governance

by

Protect welcomes the findings of the Serota Review into editorial processes at the BBC which recognises the vital role whistleblowing plays in an organisation’s governance.    ‘The Serota Review – BBC editorial processes, governance, and culture’ commissioned by the BBC to learn from mistakes from the past, follows the Dyson report into the scandal around the Martin Bashir Panorama interview with Princess Diana. … Read more

Report calls for reform of Government as public confidence in Ministers at all time low

by
A new report by the Committee on Standards in Public Life - “Upholding Public Standards” recognises the importance of high ethical standards to democracy and economic success.  Yet, as its polling reveals, public confidence in the conduct of Ministers is low. The Committee - which advises the PM on ethical standards, calls for central government reforms, including legislation to put ethics regulators and the codes that ... Read more

Read Protect’s latest newsletter

by

Our October newsletter includes blogs, why we are engaging with the Government on NDAs, why we think the Official Secrets Act needs reform to include a public interest defence and why we will be debating this with legal experts and academics next month and more….  

Facebook’s ‘big tobacco moment’ – will it U-turn to put people before profits? 

by

Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen has rightly been commended for speaking out about her former employer accusing the platform of putting “astronomical profits before people” – claiming the big tech company knows about the harm of some of its products, but does nothing about them prioritising growth and its shareholders over the safety and wellbeing of its three-billion-plus users.  … Read more

MP Mary Robinson asks PM to review UK whistleblowing law 

by

Mary Robinson MP, Chair for the APPG on Whistleblowing, called on the Prime Minister to review the UK whistleblowing law during PMQ.   She said, “The failings of Greater Manchester police, which have led to it being placed in special measures, are well documented, including the failure to record 80,000 crimes, including domestic violence and sexual offences, … Read more

Protect to co-host workshop: Civil society, national security, and breaking down barriers for Public Interest Disclosures

by

On 2 November, Protect’s Head of Policy Andrew Pepper-Parsons, along with Kaeten Mistry Historian, University of East Anglia, and Anna Myers, Executive Director, Whistleblowing International Network, will be hosting a workshop on Civil Society, National Security, and Breaking Down Barriers for Public Interest Disclosures bringing together other legal professionals, journalists and academics with a keen interest … Read more