Half of UK employees are reluctant to report employer wrongdoing due to fears of losing their jobs.
New research, commissioned by Bloomsbury Square Employment Law, found that 51% of workers would not feel safe disclosing illegal activities by their company. The main reason for this hesitation was fear of dismissal, found the study, with 45% of respondents stating job loss as their primary concern.
Additionally, 39% feared retaliation or bullying, while 36% worried about breaches of confidentiality.
The survey, which included 2,000 workers, highlighted a significant lack of trust in UK employers and whistleblowing processes. More than half of employees said they would not feel safe reporting miscarriages of justice (51%) or actions harming the environment (52%).
Whistleblowing
Whistleblowing and the risk of reputational damage
Furthermore, fewer than 1 in 5 workers (17%) expressed confidence that they could keep their job after blowing the whistle.
Concerns about employer support were also widespread, with 33% of workers doubting their confidentiality would be protected and only 18% feeling very confident that they would receive protection from retaliation.
Interestingly, the survey found that older employees (73% of those aged 55-64) were more likely to whistleblow than younger workers (58% of those aged 18-24), and women felt slightly safer reporting wrongdoing than men.
Will Burrows, employment law expert and partner at Bloomsbury Square, explained that recent scandals, such as the Post Office scandal, could have been avoided had employees spoken out earlier. However, what he felt was a current lack of whistleblower protection was discouraging people from raising concerns, which could lead to more scandals in the future.
Burrows emphasised the urgent need for reform, saying: “Unless there is greater protection for whistleblowers, it is likely that people will avoid speaking up, and potential wrongdoing will continue unchecked in the UK.”
He added that many employees are unaware of the legal procedures around whistleblowing, with only half knowing their company’s policies. This confusion is leading some to consider inappropriate channels like social media, which could invalidate their legal rights.
“We urgently need the new government to push through the Whistleblowing Bill which was first introduced in the House of Commons in January,” added Burrows.
This included a proposal to introduce new civil offences and criminal offences, punishable by fine and/or imprisonment, for subjecting whistleblowers to detriment.
“Without new legislation, the equivalent of another Post Office scandal is only going to be a matter of time,” he said.
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