Whistleblowing is defined by The UK Whistleblowing Commission as ‘the raising of a concern, whether within the workplace or externally, about a danger, risk, malpractice or wrongdoing which affects others.’ Concerns need not necessarily be restricted to your activities.
As an Institution Member, what are my obligations if I have a concern?
As a Member you:
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Have an ethical responsibility to act if you witness a danger, risk, wrongdoing or malpractice which could detrimentally affect others
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May have a legal responsibility to report your concerns to the relevant bodies, but this is dependent on the legal framework of each jurisdiction
Raising a concern
If the concern relates to your job/employer, you should first discuss the issue with your manager or person with relevant responsibility within your workplace. Your employer may have established a whistleblowing procedure, so do check this first.
If this does not resolve the problem, or if the concern is unrelated to your workplace, contact the charity Protect (formerly known as Public Concern at Work) who will offer advice about reporting your concern. Protect is a completely independent organisation that is dedicated to raising awareness of whistleblowing and assisting those who wish to raise concerns.
Guidance
The Institution has not produced specific guidance in relation to whistleblowing, but would suggest the following resources.
General guidance for potential whistleblowers:
Legislation protecting whistleblowers from detrimental treatment by their employer: