Whistleblower Debbie shares her experiences of mental health and speaking up: the night before I decided to blow the whistle, the anxiety I felt led to me not sleeping a wink. I knew the next day, I’d be pointing the finger at a colleague, essentially calling her a liar. I had undeniable proof, but even more than that, I knew that if I didn’t act, the life of my elderly, vulnerable client would be irreparably changed.
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.”
Have you ever wondered what it takes to ensure the safety of the skies we fly in? The aviation industry is one of the most meticulously regulated sectors, but even giants like Boeing can stumble. The recent whistleblower saga involving Boeing has shone a bright spotlight on the importance of safety culture in aviation.
Protect, the UK’s whistleblowing charity, is intervening in an important case before the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) which will consider whether charity trustees should have whistleblowing rights. There are nearly a million charity trustees in the UK. They are responsible for the proper governance of charities and have a duty to report wrongdoing when they see it. The case before the EAT will consider whether trustees can claim the protection of whistleblowing law if they suffer as a result of speaking up about wrongdoing.
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.”
The former Veterans’ Minister Johnny Mercer has had his application to withhold the names of whistleblowers rejected by a public inquiry. Mr Mercer, the former Conservative MP for Plymouth Moor View, has repeatedly refused to name “multiple officers” who told him about alleged special forces murders in Afghanistan.
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.
Pop megastar Taylor Swift is currently taking Europe by storm with her hotly anticipated ERAs tour. While her ever-faithful fans, known as “Swifties”, are there for the music and spectacle – as strange as it sounds – is there anything the pop princess can teach us about whistleblowing?
To mark World Whistleblowers Day, 23rd June, we turned our social media channels into a whistleblowing alphabet – starting with A for Anti-Slapp and ending with Z for Gen Z. The language surrounding whistleblowing can be complex. Legal jargon, abbreviations, and acronyms are an intrinsic part of the world of whistleblowing and we wanted to break some of this down in accessible and digestible ways.
