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...

Whistleblowing litigation in Great Britain: unfair dismissal, detriment, co-worker and vicarious liability, time limits, confidentiality, referrals to regulators, NHS recruitment discrimination, and recent appellate developments

Published by a LexisNexis Employment expert

Practice notes

The following types of whistleblowing claim are available:

unfair dismissal claims brought by employees where the reason, or main reason, for dismissal is a protected disclosure. A dismissal for whistleblowing is automatically unfair (see Practice Note: Automatically unfair reasons). For more detail, see Unfair dismissal below. If the claim succeeds, the claimant may seek interim relief and reinstatement, but cannot recover compensation for injury to feelings (see Practice Note: Unfair dismissal remedies—general).
Claims by workers (see Practice Note: Entitlement to claim whistleblowing) that they have suffered any detriment due to any act or omission by their employer because they made a protected disclosure. Dismissal counts as a detriment, but only non-employee workers can bring a direct claim against the employer about dismissal on whistleblowing grounds under these provisions. Unlike employees, workers cannot obtain orders for reinstatement or re-engagement (see Practice Note: Unfair dismissal remedies—general).

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Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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