Response to Whistleblowing Commission: Strengthening law and policy
A whistleblowing expert argues that reforms in the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill have made the law less effective.
The IER has responded to the Whistleblowing Commission of charity Public Concern at Work(PCAW) advocating changes in policy and law to encourage people to come forward about matter of public interest.
Senior Lecturer at University of East London’s School of Law and Social Sciences Catherine Hobby, who helped establish PCAW, authored a consultation response on the Institute of Employment Rights’ behalf.
She argued that the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 is “failing in its purpose” and the Coalition’s latest amendments, passed into law through the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act this April, have only made matters worse.
“A radical reform of PIDA is required to provide effective safeguards to those who blow the whistle . The 1998 Act may have given some assistance to workers victimised for raising public interest concerns, not least in the settlement of claims, but amendments are required to ensure the protective provisions are effective. If workers are not fully protected they will fear blowing the whistle and allegations of malpractice, illegality, abuse, financial irregularity, and misdeeds will be lost,” she concluded.
