Public Concern at Work sets up Whistleblowing Commission
Public Concern at Work has set up a Whistleblowing Commission to examine the existing arrangements for workplace whistleblowing and make recommendations for change.
The independent commission will oversee a public consultation process, due to commence in March, to look at whistleblowing from a number of angles: the individual; organisations; regulators; rewards; the role of wider society; and the effectiveness of the current legislation.
Carol Sergeant CBE, chair of Public Concern at Work said: "Encouraging people to speak out and ensuring that it is safe for them to do so is quite simply good governance and common sense."
She also said: "We need to make sure that whistleblowing really works for the sake of individuals, organisations and society as a whole."
Also in relation to whistleblowing, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has published updated guidance detailing the list of the prescribed people and bodies to whom employees should make a protected disclosure.
- Whistleblowing Commission press release (PDF format, 222K) View the press release regarding the launch of the commission on the Public Concern at Work website.
- Blowing the whistle to a prescribed person (PDF format, 81.7K) View the list of prescribed persons and bodies on the BIS website.
Also
Policy on whistleblowing Use this model policy to provide a route for any worker to raise qualifying disclosures under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998.
Good practice guide on whistleblowing This XpertHR good practice guide provides guidance for employers on introducing effective procedures for reporting concerns about wrongdoing.
The XpertHR FAQs section answers employers' questions on their obligations under the whistleblowing legislation, including:
- What is a public interest disclosure?
- To whom can a worker "blow the whistle"?
- How can an employer ensure that its employees are able to raise any concerns that they have about failures or wrongdoing within the organisation?