13. Whistleblowing




Under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 (PIDA), employees and workers who disclose information about alleged wrongdoing at work (“whistleblowing”) have specific rights, including the right not to suffer a detriment or be victimised, and for employees, the right not to be unfairly dismissed for blowing the whistle.




Whistleblowing law is very complicated and contains many pitfalls. Anyone contemplating blowing the whistle should seek expert advice. One of the best sources of advice is national charity Protect, which used to be known as Public Concern at Work (www.pcaw.org.uk) and which runs a helpline. This Chapter contains a brief summary of the law.


Many large employers have formal whistleblowing policies in place, providing confidential procedures for workers to use to disclose wrongdoing through internal channels.