Whistleblowing (protected disclosure)
Plain-English definitions for England and Wales. General information, not legal advice. Laws and figures change - always check the current position on GOV.UK.
Whistleblowing (protected disclosure) Where a worker reports certain wrongdoing in the public interest - a 'qualifying disclosure', such as a criminal offence, a breach of a legal obligation, or a danger to health and safety. Workers are protected from dismissal or detriment for making a protected disclosure, with no qualifying period and uncapped compensation for dismissal.
Also known as: protected disclosure, whistleblower
Related terms
- Automatic unfair dismissal
- Dismissals for certain prohibited reasons - such as pregnancy, whistleblowing, trade union activity, health and safety activities, or asserting a statutory right - that the law treats as unfair regardless of process. These have no qualifying period, so they apply from day one. A few categories (notably whistleblowing and health and safety dismissals) carry uncapped compensation; the rest are subject to the ordinary compensatory award cap.
- Interim relief
- An urgent order a tribunal can make, in a limited set of claims (such as dismissal for whistleblowing or trade union reasons), to keep your contract and pay running until the full hearing. You normally have to apply within 7 days of the dismissal and show your claim is likely to succeed. It is not available for ordinary unfair dismissal.
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