Who should I report wrongdoing to?

For your disclosure to be protected, you usually report it to your employer first — through their whistleblowing policy, or to a manager or the person responsible for the wrongdoing. Alternatively, you can report to a 'prescribed person' — an external regulator or body designated for that topic, such as HMRC for tax fraud, the FCA for financial services, the HSE for health and safety, the CQC for care, or the Environment Agency. Reporting to a prescribed person is protected if you reasonably believe the wrongdoing falls in their area and your information is substantially true.

Can I be sacked for whistleblowing?

No — the Public Interest Disclosure Act protects whistleblowers. If you're dismissed because you made a protected disclosure, that is automatically unfair dismissal, and — importantly — you do not need any qualifying period of service to claim (unlike ordinary unfair dismissal, which usually needs 2 years). You also have the right not to be subjected to any 'detriment' (treated worse — denied promotion, sidelined, disciplined) for whistleblowing. If either happens, you can bring a claim at an employment tribunal.

Should I get advice before whistleblowing?

Yes. Whistleblowing law is technical and the protection depends on doing it the right way — so get free, confidential advice first. Protect (the whistleblowing charity, formerly Public Concern at Work) runs a free advice line, and ACAS and Citizens Advice can also help. Keep clear records of what you saw, when, and who you told. Usually you raise concerns internally first, unless there's a good reason not to (for example a cover-up, or a risk that evidence would be destroyed). Tribunal claims have a strict deadline of 3 months less a day.

Whistleblowing at work: your rights and how to make a protected disclosure

Q: What is whistleblowing?

Whistleblowing is when a worker reports certain types of serious wrongdoing at work that are in the public interest — meaning they affect others, not just you personally. In law this is called making a 'protected disclosure'. It covers things like a criminal offence, a breach of a legal obligation, a danger to health and safety, environmental damage, a miscarriage of justice, or a deliberate cover-up of any of these. A purely personal complaint about how you're treated is usually a grievance, not whistleblowing.

Q: What counts as a qualifying disclosure?

To be a 'qualifying disclosure', you must reasonably believe the information is in the public interest and that it tends to show one of these types of wrongdoing — happening now, in the past, or likely in future: a criminal offence; a failure to comply with a legal obligation; a miscarriage of justice; a danger to someone's health and safety; damage to the environment; or the deliberate concealing of any of these. You don't have to be right or to have proof — you just need a reasonable belief that what you're reporting is substantially true and in the public interest.

What whistleblowing is (and isn’t)

Whistleblowing means reporting certain serious wrongdoing that is in the public interest — it affects others, not just you. In law it’s a “protected disclosure” under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998.

It is not the same as a personal complaint about how you are treated — that’s usually a grievance. The line is the public interest: does the wrongdoing affect other people, customers, the public or the environment?

You don’t need proofYou just need a reasonable belief that what you’re reporting is substantially true and in the public interest. You don’t have to investigate or be certain — and you’re still protected even if it later turns out you were mistaken, as long as your belief was reasonable.

The six types of wrongdoing

A qualifying disclosure is one you reasonably believe shows — happening now, in the past, or likely in future — one of these:

Type	Examples
A criminal offence	Fraud, theft, bribery
Breaking a legal obligation	Ignoring rules the organisation must follow
A miscarriage of justice	Someone wrongly treated by the justice system
Danger to health & safety	Unsafe practices putting people at risk
Damage to the environment	Illegal dumping, pollution
Covering up any of the above	Deliberately hiding wrongdoing

Who to tell

To stay protected, report through the right channel:

Your employer — usually first, through their whistleblowing policy, a manager, or the person responsible. Many organisations have a named contact.
A “prescribed person” — an external regulator or body designated for that topic. For example: HMRC (tax fraud), the FCA (financial services), the HSE (health & safety), the CQC (care), Ofsted (childcare/schools), the Environment Agency. Reporting to them is protected if you reasonably believe the issue is in their area and the information is substantially true.

Get advice before going externalGoing straight to the media or a non-prescribed body can lose you protection unless strict conditions are met. Usually raise it internally or with a prescribed regulator first — and get advice from Protect (the whistleblowing charity) before you act.

How you’re protected

If you make a protected disclosure, the law gives you two key protections:

You can’t be dismissed for it. Dismissal for whistleblowing is automatically unfair — and, crucially, you need no qualifying period of service to claim (unlike ordinary unfair dismissal, which usually needs 2 years).
You can’t be subjected to a “detriment”. Being sidelined, denied promotion, disciplined or otherwise treated worse because you blew the whistle is unlawful.

Protection covers “workers” — broader than just employees (it can include agency workers and trainees). If you’re dismissed or suffer a detriment, you can bring a claim at an employment tribunal (deadline: 3 months less a day, via ACAS early conciliation).

Do this now

Before you disclose, get free, confidential advice from Protect (the whistleblowing charity, formerly Public Concern at Work) — and keep clear, dated records of what you saw and who you told. ACAS (0300 123 1100) and Citizens Advice can also help.

If it’s really a personal issue rather than public-interest wrongdoing, a grievance may be the right route. Already been dismissed or punished? See unfair dismissal.

Related guides — work & rights

Raise a grievance Unfair dismissal Gross misconduct Employment rights Get help

Source verification Primary sources: GOV.UK — Whistleblowing for employees (gov.uk/whistleblowing) and Whistleblowing for prescribed persons; ACAS — Whistleblowing at work (acas.org.uk/whistleblowing-at-work); and the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998. Last verified 2 July 2026 — the public-interest requirement, the six categories of qualifying disclosure (criminal offence, breach of a legal obligation, miscarriage of justice, danger to health & safety, environmental damage, cover-up), the reasonable-belief / substantially-true test, the channels (employer or a prescribed person listed in the Public Interest Disclosure (Prescribed Persons) Order 2014), and the protections (automatically unfair dismissal with no qualifying period, plus the right not to suffer a detriment; workers as well as employees covered) were web-checked against GOV.UK and ACAS. Confidence: High — long-standing statute (PIDA 1998, amending the Employment Rights Act 1996). Scope: Great Britain (Northern Ireland has equivalent rules via nidirect / the LRA). Not legal advice — get free confidential advice from Protect, ACAS (0300 123 1100) or Citizens Advice before disclosing.

Whistleblowing — common questions

What is whistleblowing?

Reporting serious wrongdoing at work that’s in the public interest — a crime, a legal breach, a health & safety danger, environmental damage, a miscarriage of justice or a cover-up. In law it’s a “protected disclosure”. A purely personal complaint is usually a grievance instead.

What counts as a qualifying disclosure?

Information you reasonably believe is in the public interest and shows one of the six types of wrongdoing — now, past or likely. You need a reasonable belief that it’s substantially true, not proof.

Who do I report to?

Usually your employer first (or their whistleblowing policy), or a “prescribed person” — an external regulator for that topic, like HMRC, the FCA, the HSE, the CQC or the Environment Agency. Get advice before going to the media.

Can I be sacked for it?

No — dismissal for a protected disclosure is automatically unfair, with no qualifying period needed. You also can’t be subjected to a detriment (treated worse) for whistleblowing. Both can be tribunal claims.

Should I get advice first?

Yes — the protection depends on doing it correctly. Get free confidential advice from Protect (the whistleblowing charity), ACAS or Citizens Advice, and keep dated records. Tribunal deadline is 3 months less a day.

Sources: Whistleblowing, qualifying disclosures and protection · GOV.UK — Whistleblowing and ACAS — Whistleblowing at work. SortedUK is not a law firm and this is general information — free advice from Protect, ACAS (0300 123 1100) or Citizens Advice. Last reviewed: 2 July 2026.

Whistleblowing — speak up, and stay protected

What whistleblowing is (and isn’t)

The six types of wrongdoing

Who to tell

How you’re protected

Whistleblowing — common questions

Doing the right thing shouldn’t cost you your job.