In June 1994, in small village in Northern Ireland, six Catholic men were shot dead at point blank range by loyalists, as they watched the World Cup in their local pub. The main shooter was accompanied by two others, and although within 24 hours the local residents had a strong indication of whom the murderers … Read more
An OFGEM whistleblower – Greg Pytel – has been told that he is unable to challenge the victimising behaviour of his employer in the Employment Tribunal after he raised public interest concerns about the implementation of smart meters. He is now having to take his case to the Court of Appeal, at his own expense. … Read more
My view on whistleblowing is that it is a worldwide problem, and in a commissioned Protect report, ( ‘Report on the effectiveness of existing arrangements for workplace whistleblowing in the UK’) gives recommendations about how whistleblowers should be treated. Whistleblowing plays a vital role in the achievement of good governance in sport as in every … Read more
Protect is calling on clearer legislation surrounding NDAs (non-disclosure agreements) it says is preventing whistleblowers from speaking out over gagging fears and threats of legal costs. Protect (formerly Public Concern at Work) is calling for clearer wording for 43J of the whistleblowing law, the Public Interest Disclosure Act (PIDA). It wants all NDAs, or settlements, … Read more
It was great to see so many of our supporters – stakeholders, organisations we work with, parliamentarians, legal friends, former staff, trustees, and of course, whistleblowers – at our 25th anniversary reception at the House of Commons, kindly hosted by Lord Shinkwin. Lord Shinkwin shared with the room his own moving experience of whistleblowing whilst … Read more
Since whistleblowing legislation was introduced under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, employees have been encouraged to come forward with disclosures of dangerous or criminal behaviour, without fear of reprisal or dismissal. Arguably the need to speak out against such activity is especially pertinent to the education sector, which deals with young and vulnerable people … Read more
The recently formed All-Party Parliamentary Group on Whistleblowing (APPG on Whistleblowing), a group of peers and MPs who through research and debate are campaigning for better protection for whistleblowers. The APPG on Whistleblowing, initiated by WBUK, have launched a survey to collect the experiences of whistleblowers from as many different sectors and industries as possible. … Read more
Karen Campbell-White, Head of Campaigns & Compliance at the CMA on their latest Stop Cartels campaign and why educating businesses on business cartels will hopefully put a stop to unfair and illegal behaviour. Our latest work with Protect builds on our last campaign, which saw a 30% increase in tip offs to our cartels … Read more
The Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) latest cartel awareness campaign aims to educate businesses about which practices are illegal and is urging people to come forward if they suspect a business has taken part in cartel behaviour, such as fixing prices or rigging contracts. The campaign is targeting industries including construction, manufacturing, recruitment, estate agents … Read more
Protect welcomes new trustee and employment lawyer David Widdowson, who has extensive whistleblowing expertise, to the Protect Board. David is a long-standing member of the Employment Lawyers Association, and a member and subsequent chair of a working party which commented on the two abortive private members bills and then on the bill which became the … Read more
The Advice Line will be closed for the Christmas holidays from 1pm on 24 December until 9.30am on 5 January. Please call when our lines reopen, or leave a webform and one of our advisers will get back to you in the New Year. Wishing you a lovely festive break and a happy new year!
