Legal protection for whistleblowers 

Legal protection for employees who raise concerns that are in the public interest is provided by the Public Interest Disclosures Act (PIDA) 1998. PIDA protects most workers with the exception of volunteers, the armed forces, intelligence officers or anyone who has signed the Official Secrets Act, and the self-employed. Whilst PIDA does not cover the self-employed it is important that this group of people are not deterred from raising concerns, as whistleblowing policies often provide them with the same level of protection that is provided by PIDA.

The protection provided by the legislation enables workers to speak out responsibly without fear of retribution, providing a safe alternative to silence. This protection is intended to allow concerns to be raised, addressed and any wrongdoing corrected. The act also allows claims for compensation relating to victimisation following disclosures made in the public interest.

Where legitimate concerns are ultimately shown to be untrue this does not rule out protection under the act. But malicious concerns raised as a personal vendetta or for an ulterior motive may not be covered by the PIDA protection.

Anyone who is unsure about raising a concern and whether they would be protected under the PIDA legislation can seek advice from one of the organisations detailed at the end of this article.