Public Concern at Work

Public Concern at Work
Name	Public Concern at Work
Type	Charity; whistleblowing advice organisation
Founded	1993
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Area served	United Kingdom

Public Concern at Work is a UK-based charity providing advice, guidance and advocacy on whistleblowing, public interest disclosures and related employment protections. It operates at the intersection of statutory law, regulatory oversight and civil society advocacy, engaging with institutions across United Kingdom, European Union, Council of Europe, United Nations, and domestic regulators such as the Information Commissioner's Office, Financial Conduct Authority, and Care Quality Commission. The organisation influences policy, litigation and practice through reports, training and strategic interventions.

Definition and Scope

Public Concern at Work defines whistleblowing as making a protected disclosure about wrongdoing in the public interest to specified recipients. The concept derives from statutory instruments including the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, and interacts with regulatory frameworks like the Bribery Act 2010, Equality Act 2010, and standards set by bodies such as the Nursing and Midwifery Council, General Medical Council, and the Financial Reporting Council. Its scope encompasses disclosures about corruption, fraud, patient safety incidents tied to NHS Trusts, environmental breaches involving agencies such as the Environment Agency, and criminality covered by the Crown Prosecution Service.

Legal Framework and Protections

Protections for whistleblowers stem from statutory law, common law, and administrative remedies. Central UK legislation includes the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 and subsequent amendments arising from EU directives implemented by the European Parliament and European Court of Justice. Employment rights are adjudicated in venues such as the Employment Tribunal and appeals to the Court of Appeal of England and Wales and the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. Sectoral regulation involves agencies like the Care Quality Commission, Financial Conduct Authority, Bar Standards Board, Solicitors Regulation Authority, and oversight by committees such as the Public Accounts Committee and the National Audit Office.

Types of Public Interest Disclosures

Disclosures commonly addressed include allegations of fraud involving entities like HM Revenue and Customs or Companies House filings, safety failures within NHS Foundation Trusts and Scottish Health Boards, environmental harm implicating the Environment Agency or Marine Management Organisation, and malpractice touching Metropolitan Police Service or Serious Fraud Office investigations. Other categories involve breaches of regulatory codes overseen by the Financial Reporting Council, Competition and Markets Authority, or professional misconduct reported to regulators such as the General Medical Council and the Bar Standards Board.

Reporting Mechanisms and Procedures

Advice covers internal reporting channels to senior management, designated officers and whistleblowing champions within institutions like Local government in the United Kingdom bodies, Universities UK member institutions, and NHS trusts. External routes include reporting to regulators such as the Care Quality Commission, Environment Agency, Financial Conduct Authority, Information Commissioner's Office, and law enforcement bodies like the Crown Prosecution Service or Serious Fraud Office. Strategic considerations reference confidentiality protocols related to the Data Protection Act 2018, public interest disclosures to parliamentary bodies such as the House of Commons Select Committees, and protected disclosures to prescribed persons listed under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998.

Impact on Employers and Employees

Effective whistleblowing policy influences corporate governance frameworks at companies listed on London Stock Exchange and public bodies like Metropolitan Police Service units and NHS England. For employees, protections affect remedies including reinstatement and compensation adjudicated through the Employment Tribunal; involvement in high-profile litigation has engaged courts up to the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. Employers face reputational, regulatory and financial consequences when mishandling disclosures, overseen by regulators such as the Financial Conduct Authority, Care Quality Commission, and scrutiny from parliamentary bodies including the Public Accounts Committee and Justice Select Committee.

Case Law and Notable Examples

Prominent cases and interventions have shaped practice and law. Litigation in tribunals and higher courts has referenced precedents from the Court of Appeal of England and Wales and the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. Notable regulatory and public controversies involving whistleblowers have arisen in institutions such as the NHS Trusts, BBC, MI5 controversies debated in House of Commons debates, and corporate scandals overseen by the Financial Conduct Authority and Serious Fraud Office. Strategic reports and submissions by the charity have informed inquiries including the Gosport Independent Panel, the Francis Report, and parliamentary inquiries by the Public Accounts Committee.

Category:Whistleblowing Category:Charities based in the United Kingdom