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.
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.
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.
Reacting to the publication of the final report from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry today, Andrew Pepper-Parsons, the Director of Policy at whistleblowing charity Protect said: “We welcome the report’s recommendations for stronger regulation – but we must ensure that when people speak up to share critical concerns they are listened to and there is a duty on those in leadership positions to address the issues they raise.”
Reacting to the Kings Speech today, Elizabeth Gardiner, Chief Executive of whistleblowing charity Protect said: “We welcome the introduction of a new #EmploymentRights bill, this is an opportunity for the government to fulfil its commitment to improve whistleblowers’ rights. Too many people in today’s workplace don’t have any protection if they speak up to stop harm.”
As the dust settles on a dramatic election night, thoughts now turn to what a Labour Government will do. With early indications of a planned Employment Bill, and proposals to abolish the qualifying period for unfair dismissal rights and end exploitative zero-hours contracts, it’s clear this government is looking at far reaching reform.
No business is immune from ESG risks, if only because of consumer consciousness, staff pressure, regulators’ and investors’ expectations. How an organisation treats its people, how it impacts and influences its communities and its environment are questions that can’t be ignored anymore: businesses are being held accountable for their social and environmental footprints.
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.
