Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Related legal acts

Key definition

Whistleblowing definition

What does Whistleblowing mean? In practice, whistleblowing describes a worker raising concerns about suspected workplace wrongdoing by disclosing information in the public interest, usually to their employer, a prescribed regulator or (in limited circumstances) more widely. Across England & Wales and Scotland, “whistleblowing” commonly refers to making a “protected disclosure” under the Employment Rights Act 1996, ss.43A–43L (inserted by the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998). Northern Ireland has near‑equivalent provisions. A qualifying disclosure must be a disclosure of information (not mere allegation) which the worker reasonably believes tends to show specified wrongdoing (such as a criminal offence, breach of legal obligation, miscarriage of...

Global corporate whistleblowing schemes: UK, EU and US requirements, GDPR/UK GDPR compliance, EU Whistleblowing Directive obligations, DPIAs, confidentiality and international data transfers

Published by a LexisNexis Employment expert

Practice notes

This Practice Note provides an introduction to the Data protection implications of establishing a global corporate Whistleblowing scheme.

To deliver effective Corporate governance, companies need dependable ways to spot and remedy unlawful or unethical behaviour within their organisations. One means of meeting this aim is to set up internal whistleblowing arrangements, giving staff a trusted, confidential route to raise concerns about misconduct.

Worldwide, more national laws are obliging businesses to put in place internal financial control procedures—often realised through whistleblowing frameworks. The US sets the pace with rigorous expectations for internal reporting and investigation of suspected wrongdoing under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act 2002 (SOX). For a US‑regulated multinational, designing a uniform corporate whistleblowing programme across every territory in which it trades can be challenging.

In Europe, organisations must also reconcile their Governance goals with protecting the privacy rights of individuals named through the operation of a whistleblowing scheme, especially where reports are submitted anonymously. A company active in EU jurisdictions...

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Lee Harding

DLA Piper

Lee Harding is a Partner in the DLA Piper Employment team and has been with the firm since 2022. Prior to this, Lee was partner at Morgan Lewis for four years. His extensive expertise and experience span all aspects of contentious and non-contentious employment law. This includes sophisticated, high stakes litigation in the Employment Tribunals and in the High Court, especially with respect to business competition cases for insurance and technology clients. Whilst his practice is industry agnostic, Lee has notable experience advising clients in the financial services sector on the cross-over between employment and regulatory issues, especially where this relates to investigations into allegations of non-financial misconduct or whistleblowing. Lee regularly counsels on international employment needs, including global restructuring, business integration and pay equity audits, as well as advising on, negotiating, and drafting critical business protections as part of major...

Jan Colhoun

Jan advises clients on all aspects of employment law, both nationally and internationally. She provides solutions-based expertise to her clients, whatever their needs and wherever they do business. With a reputation for delivering strategic and operational advice on both contentious and non-contentious matters, Jan has a particular interest in Employment Tribunal and Employment Appeal Tribunal litigation, restrictive covenant disputes and multijurisdictional projects, including cross-border restructures. Jan's clients appreciate her commercial instincts, which complement her deep sector knowledge, in particular in the Tech, Hospitality & Leisure, and Media, Sport and Entertainment sectors....

Ataikor Ngerebara

Ataikor is a member of the DLA Piper Data Protection, Privacy and Cyber Security team undertaking a range privacy and information law work including data protection, e-commerce, cyber security and freedom of information. In addition to privacy law projects, Ataikor also supports corporate, commercial and intellectual property transactions.She works with clients in the public sector, financial services, insurance, life sciences and health, technology, and consumer goods sectors. She has experience in helping clients to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Freedom of Information Act, Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations, managing and responding to data breaches and implementing governance frameworks to manage privacy risk on a global basis. ...

Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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