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Welcome to our November Newsletter
November has seen the resignation of Sir Gavin Williamson MP from the Government, and an investigation started into allegations of bullying behaviour by the Deputy PM. It says much about civil servants’ confidence to speak up if the complaints and concerns are emerging long after the event. Our Head of Policy, Andy Pepper-Parsons sets out what needs to happen to improve whistleblowing in the civil service here.
Whistleblowing has come to the big screen with the premiere of two films this month which shine a light on the personal impact of whistleblowing – the documentary When We Speak exploring the aftermath for three women whistleblowers (watch here), and the drama She Said based on the Hollywood Sexual Abuse scandal (in cinemas now).
Kevin Hollinrake MP is now the Minister in the Business Department with responsibility for whistleblowing. Kevin has been a strong advocate for improving whistleblowing law and we hope his appointment will bring an opportunity to revisit the long-awaited government review. Meantime, Baroness Kramer is keeping up pressure with her Protection for Whistleblowing Private Members Bill having its Second Reading in Parliament on 2 December. We can’t support her proposed repeal of whistleblowers’ employment rights, but there is much to like about an Office of the Whistleblower to set and enforce standards on employers and regulators. You can read our briefing here.
Liz Gardiner, CEO Protect
National Security Bill threatens to ‘criminalise’ public interest journalism and whistleblowing
The UK’s National Security Bill threatens to “criminalise” public interest journalism and whistleblowing, news publishers and press freedom campaign groups have warned.
In its current form, the bill – which is advancing through Parliament after being introduced by Priti Patel’s Home Office in May – is also set to water down protections against police accessing journalistic materials.
Read the full article in the Press Gazette here
Protect attends cross-party Parliamentary reception for new model anti-SLAPP law
This month we were pleased to join the coalition launching a new model anti-SLAPP law at a cross-party reception in Parliament. The model law will be debated as an amendment to the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill and our congratulations to the Foreign Policy Centre for leading this important work to prevent the use of the law to silence journalists and whistleblowers.
You can read the full model law here
WIN calls on Australia’s Attorney General to defend whistleblowers
The Whistleblowing International Network (WIN), of which Protect is a member, and 17 whistleblowing protection, anti-corruption, and human rights organisations, have written to Australia’s Attorney General, Mark Dreyfus, to express deep concern about the ongoing criminal prosecution of Australian whistleblowers Mr Richard Boyle and Mr David McBride and to urge him to urgently take steps to restore faith in Australia’s whistleblowing laws.
Mr Boyle, blew the whistle on serious wrongdoing at the Australian Taxation Office, concerning staff being instructed to use harsher debt collection tactics on small businesses.
Read the full letter here
Protect attends When We Speak Premiere
This month we attended the premiere of 'When We Speak'. Congratulations to Tas Brooker and WISER FILMS LIMITED for a wonderful film and for so sensitively capturing the huge difficulties whistleblowers face to speak up.
When We Speak follows the incredible stories of whistleblowers Katharine Gun, Helen Evans and Rose McGowan, who risked everything to expose injustice.
The film has been nominated for Best Documentary at Raindance Film Festival and a British Independent Film Awards Raindance Discovery Award.
You can watch it on Amazon Prime here
When We Speak – Film Review
Behind every scandal reported in the media is usually a brave individual who is willing to put their livelihood at risk to expose wrongdoing. When We Speak tells, in a thoughtful and sensitive way, the stories of three courageous women who spoke out on some of the biggest scandals of the 21st century and shines a light on the personal effects of blowing the whistle.
The film explores the unique insights and gender discrepancies women whistleblowers face. Dr Jilly Boyce Kay, one of the film’s contributors, points out that as a society we encourage women to speak out and expect women to now have a voice yet when they challenge power, the machinery of the state and patriarchal power attempt to...
Whistleblowers respond - When We Speak
Many whisteblowers attended the premiere of When we Speak. Afterwards we asked some of them what they thought of the film. Here are their responses.
What chimed with you most in the 'When we Speak' documentary? Why?
CP: The universality of the abuse, harassment, and detriment imposed on those who have the rare courage to stand up to organisational illegality and wrongdoing.
SR: I just felt the urge to speak up. I watched the film and within 10 minutes of watching, I related to
Upcoming whistleblowing masterclasses
Financial Services Whistleblowing Champions' Masterclass 11 January 2023 9:30AM - 12PM
Handling a Whistleblowing Concern 18 January 2023 10AM - 12PM
Investigating a Whistleblowing Concern 25 January 2023 10AM - 12PM
Preventing Whistleblower Victimisation 1 February 2023 10AM - 12PM
Masterclass: Whistleblowing & Tackling Sexual Harassment 22 February 2023 10AM - 12PM
Email business@protect-advice.org.uk for more info or book here
The Benefits of doing pro bono legal work
Our pro bono volunteers are a huge support to our work to protect whistleblowers. Here Protect pro bono volunteer Annie Long speaks about her experience
I am a trainee solicitor at Howard Kennedy LLP and am currently on secondment at Protect working pro bono. At Protect, we give free legal to individuals who want to raise or have raised whistleblowing concerns, including on the legal protections for whistleblowers under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 (PIDA).
Giving free legal advice enables us to address the power imbalance that often exists in employment
For every civil servant seen to be mistreated, others will be too scared to speak up
After weeks of bullying allegations against current and ex-ministers, whistleblowing reforms can help restore integrity and accountability in government
From the outside looking in, it seems to have been a bad week for civil servants working in Westminster and Whitehall. We have had weeks now of allegations of bullying against current and former ministers towards both MPs and civil servants. It is not clear what the prime minister knew or did not know about both sets of allegations, though the government has moved to investigate both complaints that have been made, and to support other civil servants who feel ‘traumatised’ by the alleged behaviour.
Read the full article from Civil Service World here
Case Study - Health and Safety gone mad?
Helen (not their real name) worked as a hardware trainer at various sites across the UK. She would train the staff on how to use the equipment safely. Helen became increasingly alarmed by the dangerous equipment she saw on site and how staff were being
When bullying should be raised as a whistleblowing concern?
At Protect we define whistleblowing as “where a worker raises concerns with someone in authority – internally and/or externally – about wrongdoing, risk or malpractice that affects others.”
As the wrongdoing needs to affect others for it to be a whistleblowing concern, bullying, harassment and discrimination are usually best dealt with by:
- raising your concerns informally with your manager or another appropriate person;
- if this does not resolve your concerns, by making a formal complaint using your employer’s grievance policy. More information on how to raise a grievance can be found on the ACAS website.
Do you fear you will be punished if you raise concerns at work? Contact Protect on 020 3117 2520 for free, confidential advice and support.
Please help us to support more whistleblowers on our free, confidential, Advice Line.
