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

DONATE

Member Login

Where does whistleblowing fit in the Ministerial Code?

The employment case between Home Secretary Priti Patel and former senior civil servant Sir Philip Rutnam may have concluded with a settlement agreement – but the case has thrown up many questions around whistleblowing culture within Government and reform of the Ministerial Code. The case has been reported to have been settled for £340,000 plus … Read more

Is the UK slipping behind internationally in whistleblowing protection?

‘We have delivered Brexit, and we will not use this new-found freedom to reduce worker’s rights’, was the response from Kwasi Kwarteng, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, to speculation his Department was gearing for a review of employment law with an eye on reducing workers’ rights in the name of deregulation. ... Read more

Why are so many charities toxic and so far away from good governance and healthy workplace cultures?

The past few weeks have not been pretty for the Third Sector. In January, the lnternational Development Committee published its report, Progress on tackling the sexual exploitation and abuse of aid beneficiaries, which found abuse of beneficiaries was rife. The report notes that since the Oxfam sex scandal ‘the Department for International Development, non-governmental organisations, private … Read more

Is the construction industry Building Safety Regulator ready?

Key building safety proposals from the Hackitt review following the Grenfell Tower tragedy will finally be implemented this year when the Building Safety Bill is made law. But many – Dame Judith Hackitt included – are urging the construction sector to start preparation now for the new measures coming into force by 2023. The public … Read more

Supporting our members over 2020

Despite the challenges, we look back on our 2020 work with satisfaction: we welcomed a number of organisations who chose to work with us and receive ongoing support as Members, including Ecclesiastical Insurance, Wolverhampton City Council, Northampton Fire & Rescue, UK Athletics, Bailey Group Glyndebourne, and the Sanger Institute, amongst others. Joining Protect as a ... Read more

A year like no other for Protect’s Advice Line

The 16 March 2020 will be remembered as a key moment in how Covid-19 affected the United Kingdom. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that evening that all of the UK, if possible, should work from home. Effective immediately. For over a quarter of a century, Protect has been providing free legal advice to whistleblowers through … Read more

Lords debate HS2 heavy use of NDAs

Concerns over 300 Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) by HS2 railway line construction project has been debated in the House of Lords who say wide scale use of NDAs could be  ‘undermining public trust’ in infrastructure projects. NDAs are legal agreements that prevent the disclosure of commercial information by those who are signed up to them, but … Read more

Whistleblowing culture in central Government needs overhauling

The inquiry into bullying allegations by Home Secretary Priti Patel has led to much disquiet in Whitehall with questions raised about the state of whistleblowing culture within central Government.  The Home Secretary said she was not aware of allegations against her – this is troubling.  The report is unclear whether no one felt able to speak ... Read more

Misidentified whistleblowers – falling through the cracks

Whistleblowing serves a vital public function. It ensures that public interest wrongdoing in the workplace is called out, resolved and protects not only workers and employers but the public at large. Whistleblowers like Jonathan Taylor[1], Chris Day[2] and Clare Gilham[3] have helped expose issues of international corruption, poor patient care and failures in the justice ... Read more