As momentum grows ahead of the General Election we’ve done the hard work – so you don’t have to – to pick out the major parties’ key policies and commitments relating to whistleblowing. While tax, the NHS, and immigration may have dominated the mainstream coverage, at Protect we have a laser-focus on what the parties are saying about whistleblowing and the promises they’re making.
With political parties thrown into campaigning mode with the calling of a general election any outstanding Government announcements, policy decisions and most importantly, legislation going through Parliament, have been put on hold – many permanently. This blog provides a rundown of the whistleblowing law changes and policy decisions that have been delayed, cancelled or have survived the calling of the general election.
A controversial documentary exposé, a staff member sharing secretly recorded footage, a witch hunt for the source of a leak, mis-directed disciplinary action and mis-identified whistleblowers. BBC Casualty’s Breaking Point storyline had it all, and Protect was there hand-in-hand with the script writers through the production process making sure their plots and ideas were realistic, while maintaining the power of drama.
The Infected Blood Inquiry report has laid bare how thousands of people died unnecessarily through receiving infected blood that was supposed to save their lives, and how both the NHS and the Government frustrated justice for decades.
Josie decided to go to the media after a junior civil servant, Raphael Marshall, reached out to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee with evidence of Foreign Office failings. Feeling “humbled” that a junior colleague had been brave enough to speak out, Josie gave an anonymous interview and leaked emails to the BBC to corroborate what he had said. Like so many other whistleblowers, she paid a heavy price for speaking out
Recently, the Chancellor made it known that he was not happy with the Financial Conduct Authority ‘s new proposals. Under the proposals, the regulator would publicly announce when they open an investigation into a firm – if they decided it was in the public interest to do so. They already have powers to do so, but only in exceptional circumstances.
As football clubs continue to suffer at the hands of unscrupulous owners and poor governance the Government is proposing a new Regulator to protect the financial stability of the beautiful game. We believe a new body should have Prescribed Person status to give workers a mechanism to blow the whistle with confidence.
A breach of confidentiality can put enormous pressure on a whistleblower and have a significant impact on levels of trust in an employer’s whistleblowing systems. There are simple steps to ensure the impact of a breach can be contained and whistleblowers protected. In this blog we lay out 5 top tips for any employer to follow.
With more than half a million staff working in the civil service its vital to public accountability that Government departments are getting whistleblowing right – especially as they’re funded through the public purse. Following a critical report senior officials from the Cabinet Office, HMRC and DWP have reported back on how they’re improving their whistleblowing arrangments across the civil service.
With the growth in anonymous whistleblowing reporting platforms we look into the pros and cons of trusting an external reporting tool – and what this means for both employers and whistleblowers.
