Employment protection for whistleblowers: some implications.

This paper briefly explains the concept of whistleblowing and why it should be encouraged. It then outlines the effect of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 and examines the recent Middlesex University research into whistleblowing procedures in local authorities. The paper establishes the prevalence of whistleblowing procedures, why they were introduced and the extent of trade union involvement. It provides examples to illustrate who can use these procedures, the types of concern that can be raised and who investigates them. Other issues discussed include: the need for confidentiality; the problems of reprisal and malicious allegations; the availability of advice and assistance and the existence of feedback. The paper also describes how information about whistleblowing procedures is disseminated, who has overall responsibility for such a procedure within organisations and the extent of monitoring and review. The paper concludes by using the research findings to make observations about good practice and recommendations for the future.