Whistleblowing at work, explained

Whistleblowing is reporting certain kinds of wrongdoing, usually something you have seen at work, where the wrongdoing affects others and not just you. If your report counts as a “protected disclosure”, the law protects you: your employer must not treat you badly because of it, and if you are an employee and it dismisses you mainly because of it, the dismissal is automatically unfair, with no minimum service and no cap on compensation.

Whether you are protected depends on three things: what you report, whether you reasonably believe it is in the public interest, and who you tell. Since 6 April 2026, sexual harassment has been on the list of things you can blow the whistle about. This page covers Great Britain; GOV.UK notes there is a different process in Northern Ireland.

Who is protected

Whistleblowing law protects “workers”, which is wider than employees. Acas lists workers, employees, agency workers, apprentices, NHS practitioners, student nurses and midwives, police, office holders, and some self-employed NHS doctors, dentists, ophthalmologists and pharmacists. GOV.UK also mentions members of limited liability partnerships.

Acas says you are not usually protected if you are genuinely self-employed, a volunteer with no enforceable contract, a non-executive director, a member of the armed forces, or a lawyer learning of something through legal privilege. Protection starts on day one, and continues after you leave; for example, Acas gives an inaccurate reference given because of an earlier disclosure.

What you can blow the whistle about

The law calls these “qualifying disclosures”. You must disclose information which, in your reasonable belief, is in the public interest and tends to show that:

• a criminal offence has been, is being, or is likely to be committed;
• someone has failed, is failing or is likely to fail to comply with a legal obligation;
• a miscarriage of justice has occurred or is likely;
• someone’s health or safety has been or is likely to be endangered;
• sexual harassment has occurred, is occurring or is likely to occur (from 6 April 2026);
• the environment has been or is likely to be damaged;
• information about any of the above has been, or is likely to be, deliberately concealed.

It does not matter whether the wrongdoing happened in the UK or elsewhere. You do not have to prove it, but your belief has to be reasonable. You are not protected if you commit an offence by making the disclosure, such as hacking computer files.

The public interest test

A purely personal complaint, such as a dispute about your own pay or a clash with your manager, is not usually whistleblowing, and GOV.UK suggests using the grievance procedure instead. See grievances and disciplinaries. Acas says a disclosure is more likely to be in the public interest the more serious the issue, if the wrongdoing was deliberate, if a large or well-known employer is involved, or if many people are affected.

Sexual harassment

Since 6 April 2026, reporting sexual harassment can be a qualifying disclosure. Acas says the protection applies to detriment or dismissal from 6 April 2026 even if the harassment or disclosure happened before then. See sexual harassment at work.

Who to tell

Acas suggests thinking about the options in order. The further down the list, the more conditions you have to meet.

Who	Notes
Your employer, or another person responsible for the wrongdoing	Usually the first step; follow any whistleblowing policy. Put it in writing if you can
A legal adviser	Protected when you are getting legal advice, at any time
A government minister	Only if you work for certain public bodies
A prescribed person or body	A regulator for your issue, for example the Health and Safety Executive. You must choose the right one
Anyone else, such as the police or media	Protected only in limited cases, such as an exceptionally serious failure; never for personal gain

GOV.UK’s list of prescribed people and bodies, updated on 15 September 2026, includes Scottish bodies such as the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Food Standards Scotland, Healthcare Improvement Scotland, the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, the Scottish Housing Regulator, the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, Audit Scotland and the Lord Advocate for serious or complex fraud. The list also says you can blow the whistle to your MP or MSP.

GOV.UK warns that if you go to the media, in most cases you will lose your whistleblowing rights.

How to make the disclosure

• Say clearly that you are making a whistleblowing disclosure. Acas suggests a letter or email to the right person, or following your employer’s policy.
• Give the background, the dates, who you have already told and their response.
• Acas says it is not your job to gather evidence, and taking documents or passing them outside the organisation could breach your contract or other laws.
• A grievance can contain a disclosure, but Acas says it is not usually the best route; if you use one, say that it includes a disclosure.
• You can report anonymously, but GOV.UK says that can make it harder to show later that any unfair treatment was because of your disclosure. You can instead give your name and ask for confidentiality.

Your protection

• Detriment. You have the right not to be subjected to any detriment by your employer because you made a protected disclosure. Acas gives examples such as bullying, harassment, being passed over for promotion, or having hours cut without good reason. This also covers detriment from fellow workers acting in the course of their employment, or from your employer’s agents, which the law treats as done by the employer too.
• Dismissal. If you are an employee and the reason, or main reason, for dismissal is your protected disclosure, the dismissal is automatically unfair. No qualifying service is needed, and the usual cap on the compensatory award does not apply. Workers who are not employees may be able to claim dismissal as a detriment.
• Gagging clauses. Any term in an agreement between a worker and employer is void so far as it tries to stop you making a protected disclosure, including in a settlement agreement.

Time limits

Claim	Time limit if the event was on or after 1 October 2026
Detriment	Six months beginning with the act or failure, or the last of a series
Unfair dismissal	Six months beginning with the effective date of termination
Interim relief (dismissal)	Seven days

For events before 1 October 2026, the limit is three months. You normally notify Acas first, which pauses the clock, though GOV.UK says you do not need to for an interim relief application on its own. Interim relief asks the tribunal to keep your employment going until the case is decided. See Acas early conciliation and employment tribunal.

What to check in your contract or letter

• Whistleblowing policy: who to report to, how, and any confidential reporting line.
• Confidentiality clause in your contract, and any non-disclosure wording in a settlement agreement or COT3.
• Grievance procedure, if your concern is partly personal.
• Data protection and IT policies, before copying or forwarding documents.
• Any letter or email recording your disclosure, the date, and who received it.
• Disciplinary or dismissal letters that follow your disclosure, and the reasons given.
• Reference clause in any settlement agreement.

When it helps to speak to a solicitor

Whistleblowing claims are technical. Whether a disclosure qualifies, whether you told the right person, and whether later treatment was “because of” it are often disputed. A solicitor can advise before you report, which is also protected, or after you have been treated badly. The whistleblowing charity Protect, Acas and Citizens Advice can also help. EmployedRight’s free document check can help you find the clauses above first.

Common questions

What counts as a protected disclosure?

It must be a disclosure of information that you reasonably believe is in the public interest and tends to show a criminal offence, a failure to meet a legal obligation, a miscarriage of justice, danger to someone's health or safety, sexual harassment, damage to the environment, or a cover-up of any of these. It can be about the past, present or likely future, and about something overseas. You do not have to be right, but your belief must be reasonable.

Is a personal grievance whistleblowing?

Usually not. GOV.UK says personal grievances are not covered by whistleblowing law unless your particular case is in the public interest, and should go through your employer's grievance policy. Acas says a disclosure is more likely to be in the public interest the more serious it is, if it was deliberate, if a large employer is involved, or if many people are affected.

Do I need two years' service to be protected?

No. Acas says protection starts from the beginning of employment. If you are an employee dismissed mainly because you made a protected disclosure, the dismissal is automatically unfair, with no qualifying period. Workers who are not employees cannot claim unfair dismissal, but may be able to claim that being dismissed was a detriment.

Can a confidentiality clause or NDA stop me whistleblowing?

No. Any term in an agreement between a worker and employer is void so far as it tries to stop you making a protected disclosure, and that includes settlement agreements. A confidentiality clause can still be valid for other kinds of disclosure, so GOV.UK suggests talking to your legal adviser before signing anything with a confidentiality clause if you want to report wrongdoing.

What is the time limit for a whistleblowing claim?

For detriment, six months beginning with the act or failure complained of, or the last in a series, where that is on or after 1 October 2026. For dismissal, six months from the effective date of termination if employment ended on or after that date. Older events have a three-month limit. If you want interim relief after dismissal, you must apply within seven days.

Can I go to the press?

GOV.UK says that if you report your concern to the media, in most cases you will lose your whistleblowing law rights. Wider disclosures are protected only in limited circumstances, such as an exceptionally serious failure, and never if made for personal gain, such as selling a story. Your employer, a legal adviser or the right prescribed person or body are much safer routes.

Sources

1. GOV.UK: Whistleblowing for employees checked Fri Oct 02
2. GOV.UK: Whistleblowing, list of prescribed people and bodies (updated 15 September 2026) checked Fri Oct 02
3. Acas: Whistleblowing at work checked Fri Oct 02
4. Acas: What someone can whistleblow about checked Fri Oct 02
5. Acas: How to make a whistleblowing disclosure checked Fri Oct 02
6. Employment Rights Act 1996, section 43B (qualifying disclosures) checked Fri Oct 02
7. Employment Rights Act 1996, section 43J (contractual duties of confidentiality) checked Fri Oct 02
8. Employment Rights Act 1996, section 47B (protected disclosures: detriment) checked Fri Oct 02
9. Employment Rights Act 1996, section 48 (complaints to employment tribunals: time limit) checked Fri Oct 02
10. Employment Rights Act 1996, section 103A (automatically unfair dismissal) checked Fri Oct 02
11. Employment Rights Act 1996, section 124 (no cap for section 103A dismissals) checked Fri Oct 02
12. Employment Rights Act 1996, section 111 (unfair dismissal time limit) checked Fri Oct 02
13. Employment Rights Act 2025 (Commencement No. 5 and Transitional Provisions) (Amendment) Regulations 2026, SI 2026/954 checked Fri Oct 02
14. GOV.UK: Plan to Make Work Pay and Employment Rights Act timeline update checked Fri Oct 02
15. GOV.UK: Make a claim to an employment tribunal (interim relief) checked Fri Oct 02

This guide is general information about employment law in Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland). Northern Ireland has its own employment law. It isn't legal advice and doesn't take your circumstances into account.