Fiducia TogetherWhistleblowing
Reporting wrongdoing, and the strong legal protection that comes with it.
Please note: This page explains what a term means. It is general information, not legal, financial, tax or investment advice, and it does not know anything about your business. Before you sign, file or commit to anything, check it with an accountant, a solicitor, or the official guidance we link to.
What it means
A protected disclosure is a report of certain kinds of wrongdoing — criminal offences, breaches of legal obligation, danger to health and safety, environmental damage, miscarriages of justice, or concealment of any of these.
Why it matters
Dismissal for making a protected disclosure is automatically unfair with no qualifying service and no cap on compensation. It is one of the highest-risk areas in employment law.
What it looks like in practice
Disclosures must be in the public interest and are normally made to the employer or a prescribed person. A policy encouraging internal reporting is both good practice and protective.
What to watch out for
Treating a complaint as a grievance when it is a disclosure. And any detriment after a disclosure — a changed rota, a cancelled promotion, exclusion from a meeting — which is separately actionable.
Where to get proper advice
Protect, the whistleblowing charity, runs a free advice line. An employment solicitor for anything involving a disclosure.
Where to read more
Last reviewed 2026-08-28 by Fiducia Together · Next review due 2027-08-28
Please note: This page explains what a term means. It is general information, not legal, financial, tax or investment advice, and it does not know anything about your business. Before you sign, file or commit to anything, check it with an accountant, a solicitor, or the official guidance we link to.