Whistleblowing is the act of raising concerns in the workplace or having ‘blown the whistle’ on an employer’s wrongdoings. Whistleblowing laws offer protection for those who have raised their concerns.
- Have you raised or considering raising a concern in your workplace? From time to time many employees, especially in the legal, medical and financial fields feel obliged to report concerns to their employers. Unfortunately, some employers or colleagues and co-workers may not take too kindly to those concerns. You may be unsure about how to raise concerns lawfully and ensure you have legal protection from any detrimental outcome from your disclosure.
- You may also have a regulatory duty to report certain concerns.
- Does your concern relate to a criminal offence, damage being caused to the environment or a health and safety violation? Perhaps it relates to the legal duties and obligations of your employer or company. Perhaps your employer is breaching the law? Or are your workplace activities a danger to the public?
- Does your concern have ramifications on the wider public or are in they in the public interest? Legal protections only exist for those concerns which are of a wider reach, known as those “in the public interest”.
- Has your employer or co-workers treated you detrimentally after you raised your concerns. Are they facilitating breaches of the law or a criminal enterprise?
- Have you left your job and then reported a concern? You should speak to one of our specialist solicitors urgently as there are very strict time limits to bring an employment claim.
- You may have a whistleblowing claim against your employer if you have suffered detriments or if you have been dismissed or resigned due to your whistleblowing. Damages claims for whistleblowing can range from £900 to more than £100,000. To discuss potential awards speak to our solicitors now.
- You might not even know you could be classed as a whistleblower. If you have recently been dismissed from your job, thinking back, is it because you have raised a concern?
- Not everyone is protected from whistleblowing law. Speak to our specialist solicitors to discuss your legal protection and whether you can claim under your work status.
Call our specialist solicitors now and they can guide you through this tricky area of law, known as whistleblowing law, to ensure a successful outcome. We will listen and care about your matter.
WHISTLEBLOWER FAQs
We asked our Head of Department, Elliot Hammer, for his top 5 most frequently asked questions about whistleblowing.
Elliot Hammer was “Times Lawyer of the Week” in September 2021 for his representation of Sonia Appleby in a whistleblowing case of national importance:
- The number 1 frequently asked question that I get asked in whistleblowing is “how much can I claim for”. The answer depends on what and how your employer has treated you. If you have been dismissed you can claim for your loss of salary going forward. You may also be able to claim for injury to feelings.
- The second most frequently asked question is “how important is it to have a lawyer who specialises in whistleblowing representing you”. It is vitally important to use a solicitor who knows whistleblowing and has a good deal of experience in it.
- Third is “how much will it cost me to bring a claim?”. The cost varies, but we can offer a range of funding options, including “No Win No Fee”, Crowd Funding and others.
- Fourth is “how many times do I have to blow the whistle?”. You may only need to blow it once. Blowing the whistle, in legal terms, is called making a “Protected Disclosure”. It is this “Protected Disclosure” which protects you from dismissal or detriments.
- Lastly “will I win”. This all depends on your individual circumstances and your case. Speak to our specialist solicitors who can will take the time to speak to you about your case.
Elliot was also “Lawyer in the News” in the Law Society Gazette in September 2021, the periodical of record for solicitors.
