Use this page to learn what to do in the event of whistleblowing at your organisation. It also includes tips to help you write your own whistleblowing policy and procedure.
Whistleblowing is when an individual reports suspected wrongdoing at work (also known as ‘blowing the whistle’).
Whistleblowers are protected by law under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998. Under this law, whistleblowers must not be treated unfairly or lose their job because they report suspected wrongdoing.
This law protects employees and workers.
GOV.UK has guidance on who counts as an employee and who counts as a worker.
Whistleblowers are protected by law if their whistleblowing is in the public interest and they suspect and report one of the following.
Whistleblowing is deemed to be in the public interest if it affects the general public or a specific group of people or other employees/workers.
The whistleblower doesn’t need to be right about their concerns – they’re still protected if their concerns subsequently prove to be unfounded.
Personal grievances are covered by whistleblowing legislation if they’re in the public interest and cover one of the areas of wrongdoing above.
Read our guidance on handling grievances.
It’s good practice to have a written whistleblowing policy and procedure.
This document should:
NCVO members can download our editable sample whistleblowing policy and procedure.
Last reviewed: 01 August 2022
Help us improve this contentGet regular updates on NCVO's help, support and services