Managing Whistleblowing Complaints

Whistleblowing complaints have been on the rise since the beginning of the global pandemic and the government has recently announced that they will be carrying out a review of the whistleblowing legislation to ensure that it is still fit for purpose.

Protection for whistleblowers in Northern Ireland is provided under the Public Interest Disclosure Order (NI) 1998 ("PIDO"). This legislation protects employees and workers who blow the whistle about wrong doing which they believe is taking place or has taken place. For the legislation to provide protection to an individual, they must make a "qualifying disclosure" to their employer or to another third party.

A "qualifying disclosure" which will be protected under the legislation is one which, in the reasonable belief of the individual, tends to show one or more of the following:-