Jobs & Business

Reporting wrongdoing at work: the law protects whistleblowers

Q: What counts as a protected disclosure?

Under the Employment Rights Act 1996 (section 43B), a «qualifying disclosure» is information the worker reasonably believes is made in the public interest and tends to show one of: a criminal offence; a breach of a legal obligation; a miscarriage of justice; a danger to health and safety; environmental damage; sexual harassment (added 6 April 2026); or the concealment of any of these. A disclosure is not protected if making it is itself a crime.

Q: What protection you get?

Having made such a protected disclosure, a worker must not be subjected to a detriment (section 47B), and dismissal for it is automatically unfair (section 103A) — with no two-year service needed. In practice: raise a genuine concern, keep records, and report through the right channel — your employer or a prescribed regulator from the official list.

If you report wrongdoing at work in the public interest, the law protects you — you must not be punished or dismissed for it.

Thanks for £1

A metal whistle, close up — Reporting wrongdoing in the public interest is protected by law. Photo: ONLYWAY NEWS

Reporting serious wrongdoing is not «telling tales» but an act the law protects. The key is that the disclosure meets certain conditions.

What counts as a protected disclosure

Under the Employment Rights Act 1996 (section 43B), a «qualifying disclosure» is information the worker reasonably believes is made in the public interest and tends to show one of: a criminal offence; a breach of a legal obligation; a miscarriage of justice; a danger to health and safety; environmental damage; sexual harassment (added 6 April 2026); or the concealment of any of these. A disclosure is not protected if making it is itself a crime.

ADV · A001ONLYWAY JEWELRY — gold, silver and platinumRings, chains, bracelets, earrings and pendants. Delivery across the UK.Advertise here

What protection you get

Having made such a protected disclosure, a worker must not be subjected to a detriment (section 47B), and dismissal for it is automatically unfair (section 103A) — with no two-year service needed. In practice: raise a genuine concern, keep records, and report through the right channel — your employer or a prescribed regulator from the official list.

Thanks for £1If this information was useful and came in time, press the heart. Payment goes through PayPal, with nothing to choose and nothing to fill in, and it pays for the newsroom.

Check whether an employer can sponsor a work visa →
Search the Home Office register on our own site: whether the company holds a sponsor licence, and for which routes.

Published 25 October 2026, 17:09 1 min read Editorial desk of the British newspaper ONLYWAY NEWS - LONDON - UK

Sources