Don’t Forget About Whistleblowing …

Whistleblowing claims have been on the increase over the last couple of years. Perhaps recent high profile stories of employees 'blowing the whistle' have acted as a catalyst. Consider for instance, the former Marks & Spencer employee, allegedly dismissed after disclosing plans to alter the company's redundancy scheme because of concerns over age discrimination and length of service. According to press reports the employee contacted the media after a lack of confidence in the response he received from his line manager and works council. It is by no means clear that the employee's approach satisfied the requirements to qualify for a protected disclosure – see below – but it illustrates that internal disputes may quickly escalate and create unwelcome coverage for employees. Prevention is better than cure.