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April Newsletter
We are regularly asked by organisations how many whistleblowing cases is “normal” in any given year. Large volumes of concerns may be alarming or they may be an indicator of a healthy speak-up culture. It’s because numbers alone don’t tell the whole story that we developed our benchmark tool to test whistleblowing systems in context.
All that being said, one organisation currently facing intense scrutiny regarding whistleblowing is the aircraft manufacturer Boeing following allegations surrounding safety failures. Amidst reports the company’s “safety culture is broken” Boeing has said that employee reports have “exploded” - with January and February this year seeing as many reports as the entirety of 2023 - which the company says “is what we want.” One whistleblower who goes public may open the floodgates – workers can see the external media coverage providing some cover and defence to their actions. While this story has many more airmiles to go, it is rightfully putting whistleblowers and their critical role in protecting public safety in the spotlight.
In our ongoing pursuit of promoting positive whistleblowing cultures, this month we’ve been out on the road – both literally and figuratively…
We were asked to speak at the annual Symposium for the Medical Journalists Association (MJA). The event brought together more than fifty health journalists and whistleblowers to talk about the challenges of working together, the sensitivities around leaked information and the risk of identification when speaking to the press. One of the issues raised was medics using anonymous twitter accounts to blow the whistle. While some in the audience felt this was the safest way of getting information out there, the journalists in the room were very dismissive of the tactic as, once published online, their editors wouldn’t be interested – thereby diminishing the story. Food for thought – and there’s a short write-up of the event from the MJA here: https://mjauk.org/2024/04/16/both-sides-of-blowing-the-whistle-mja-symposium-insights-and-tips/
With our eye on the fight on corruption and the role of whistleblowing in exposing wrongdoing we attended the launch of the Economic Crime Manifesto 2.0. Organised by the All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPG) on Anti-Corruption & Responsible Tax and Fair Business Banking – we had fed into the manifesto ensuring the role of whistleblowing was front and centre and pressing our call that the Government should require companies to hold investigations into whistleblower concerns that relate to economic crime, with independent oversight factored in.
While we haven’t stretched to all four nations this month – we have touched down in both Scotland and Wales. In Dundee, our Director of Policy and Communications, Andrew Pepper-Parsons joined a panel at a fringe event at the Scottish TUC Annual Congress sharing findings from our Environmental Whistleblowing Toolkit. We were also invited to speak to criminology students at Swansea University about the crucial role whistleblowing plays in detecting and deterring harm in the workplace.
This month we’ve run 8 training sessions for organisations wanting to improve and develop their whistleblowing processes and systems. This included our new “drop in” session for whistleblowing investigators run with the support of Simon Stephen, Partner at Heminsley Law, and a full day of in-person training at our offices in Bethnal Green. We run training throughout the year which is open to anyone looking for a refresher or overview of whistleblowing law. We also run tailored workshops for organisations to fit their individual needs and sectors. Do get in touch to find out more.
Elizabeth Gardiner
Research taken from our Advice Line revealed 2 in 5 people raising concerns in the workplace are ignored by their employer. Cultivating a successful speak up culture should be at the forefront of an employer's mind when thinking of staff wellbeing.
52% of water workers said the abuse they receive has increased due to sewage dumping. Elizabeth Gardiner, Protect CEO, comments in HR Magazine as worrying stats continue to sound alarm bells for environmental whistleblowers.
Andrew Pepper-Parsons, Protect Policy and Communications Director, wrote for Civil Service World responding to the NAO report into whistleblowing in the civil service.
To mark the launch of our new guide on Whistleblower Confidentiality we are holding a Lunch and Learn webinar on the 16th May 2024 from 1:00-2:00pm. Join us as we discuss the best methods to protect the identity of whistleblowers within employer whistleblowing systems.
This illuminating session will feature a panel of experts including Protect’s Director of Policy, Andrew Pepper-Parsons, Clive Robins, Senior Compliance Manager at Nationwide Building Society, HR Consultant Tina Russell and Tim Smith, Head of Operations at Safecall.
Improving whistleblowing in the civil service
We attended the recent Public Accounts Committee which was questioning officials from the Cabinet Office, HMRC and DWP on the findings of the National Audit’s Office report into whistleblowing in the civil service. The report raised some serious misgivings about the way whistleblowing is managed across the civil service, with gaps in process and data capture. The session provided an opportunity for senior civil service leaders to respond to these findings and show how they’re taking actions forward.
Environmental governance & whistleblowing with Slaughter & May
A third of UK office workers say they are willing to quit their jobs over weak climate action from their employers. Regulators across all industries are now taking an increasingly keen interest in environmental impact, from a regulatory crackdown on “greenwashing” in the fashion sector to firmer requirements on environment credentials for institutional investors.
A strong whistleblowing culture is key in helping employers stay true to their environmental commitments, as well as ensuring breaches of regulations are prevented or detected at an early stage before they escalate to serious risk.
On Wednesday 5th June we are holding a breakfast briefing in partnership with Slaughter & May, 08.30-10.00 am, on how to adopt and embed robust whistleblowing arrangements as part of your environmental governance strategy. To register your interest please email us adding Environmental Governance to your email subject heading.
One of the benefits of Protect membership is being able to join our regular Members Forum which brings together a host of whistleblowing experts and enthusiasts to discuss topical issues and political and regulatory movements. Our next Forum, on the 22nd May, will discuss the FCA’s consultation into beefed up enforcement actions and the upcoming guidance on the new “Failure to Prevent Fraud” offence expected very soon.
Sybille Raphael, our Legal Director, will also be taking a deep dive into our Advice Line data to draw out themes and trends from the past year – and what that tells us about the concerns and priorities to look out for in 2024.
Did you know that NEDs, Trustees and Governors could risk regulatory action for failing to speak up about incidents of wrongdoing or even personal liability?
We have developed this Masterclass for NEDs, Trustees and Governors to ensure that they understand their role, responsibilities and obligations in overseeing their organisation’s whistleblowing arrangements, as well as how to escalate concerns and promote a culture where staff feel able to speak up.
Book onto our upcoming training: 15 May 2024 10:00-12:00PM GMT
While it's still the case that you should definitely come to us for all your essential whistleblowing advice it seems some well-known figures are getting into the legal advice sector.
Hugh Grant - who has just settled following a drawn-out case with the Sun newspaper - has a very accessible explanation of Part 36 of the Civil Procedure Rules.
