As officials from governments, Member States, parliaments, civil society and the private sector come together for one of the world’s largest anti-corruption gatherings we explore a new resolution calling on member states to recognise the role whistleblowers play in the fight against corruption and provide them from retaliation. .
When it comes to calling out wrongdoing in the workplace, could it be that some people are more likely to speak up than others? At Protect, a notable number of callers to our Advice Line identify as being neurodivergent and/or on the autistic spectrum. While this observation doesn’t prove a link, we think this warrants exploration.
Your monthly whistleblowing news update. This month: McDonald’s faces up to two sex abuse claims a week, employment tribunal rules on parliamentary privilege challenge in foreign office whistle-blowing case and following Lucy Letby, 71% of doctors say whistleblowing damages careers.
Josie Stewart, Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) whistleblower, who is bringing a claim that she was unfairly dismissed because she blew the whistle can’t rely on parts of her evidence because of Parliamentary Privilege.
Protect welcomes the introduction of the first anti-SLAPPs legislation in the UK, but is clear this doesn’t go far enough and there needs to be a dedicated law. SLAPPs continue to threaten the right to speak out and speak up, are a significant threat to democracy and place whistleblowers in a vulnerable position.
Following a change in the law large organisations are now criminally liable if they benefit from fraud committed by a member of staff. It aims to discourage large organisations from turning a blind eye to fraud and to hold companies to account if they profit as a result. Protect hopes the new offence will help protect victims and reduce economic crime by driving culture change towards better internal fraud prevention procedures.
Protect works with charities and their trustees in a variety of ways including training, consultancy, organisational membership and the benchmarking of whistleblowing arrangements. We are proud to offer trustees whistleblowing training that is specific to their role. Ensuring that they understand their responsibilities and obligations in overseeing their organisation’s whistleblowing arrangements, as well as how to escalate concerns and promote a culture where staff feel empowered to raise concerns.
This Pro Bono Week Halima, a legal secondee from Baker McKenzie, shares her thoughts on the importance of pro bono work and that being charitable doesn’t always have to be financial, it can be the giving of time, expertise, or kindness. Protect is extremely grateful to all the organisations and individuals who dedicate their time, insight, skills and support for our charity.
As a member of the UK Anti-SLAPP Coalition we have been closely following the progress of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (ECB2) through Parliament. Now passed into law this is the first anti-SLAPP provision in UK law. While this is definitely a step in the right direction, there’s still much more that could and … Read more
You can use this template to help you escalate your whistleblowing concerns externally. Download the template (doc) Download an example of how to use this template (pdf)
