Whistleblowing Update: New statistics

New statistics have been released relating to the surge in whistleblowers seeking help, particularly that there has been a rise in whistleblowing calls by 23% as of 2023, compared to 2022.

Protect (a whistleblowing charity) have released a wealth of statistics in relation to the rise of whistleblowing callers, which includes:

1. 73% of callers say they faced victimisation or felt forced to resign after raising whistleblowing concerns;
2. The majority of calls from whistleblowers came from the private sector, with just under a quarter from the public and charity sectors;
3. 44% of calls came from individuals with an annual income below £30,000 and 23% from those earning between £30,000 to £50,000;
4. 41% of callers said their whistleblowing concern had been ignored by their employer; and
5. 15% of calls said their employer had told them their whistleblowing concern wasn’t valid.

The stark rise in calls from whistleblowers indicates, according to Protect, that many employees are still not encouraged to speak up. This can result in significant legal issues for employers down the line, particularly where an employee may be dismissed or subjected to unfavourable treatment as a result of ‘blowing the whistle’. These statistics underline the importance of not only having the correct procedures and processes in place to allow workers to make disclosures but also that employers and managers should be adequately trained in knowing their role and responsibilities when the whistleblowing policy is invoked.

Senior Associate, Claire Hollins, previously wrote about the surge in whistleblowing claims – the link to Claire’s article and more information about the surge in whistleblowing claims can be found here.

For more information on this, please get in touch with a member of the Employment Team today through info@kuits.com.