UK Whistleblower Handling & Regulatory Reporting Duties

This course is the managers and compliance teams instalment in a two-part series designed for organisations operating in England and Wales. It provides a rigorous, legislation-grounded exploration of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 (PIDA), the Employment Rights Act 1996 (as amended), and the regulatory landscape maintained by bodies such as the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Participants will leave with a clear understanding of what constitutes a protected disclosure, who qualifies as a protected worker, and what duties arise the moment a disclosure lands with a manager or compliance function.

Beyond the legal framework, the course addresses the practical governance structures organisations must maintain — from drafting and embedding effective whistleblowing policies to managing investigations with procedural fairness, protecting disclosers from detriment, and making mandatory reports to external regulators where required. Real-world scenarios and decision-making frameworks are embedded throughout to bridge the gap between legal theory and day-to-day managerial practice.

Managers bear unique legal exposure when they mishandle disclosures: they may be named personally in Employment Tribunal proceedings, and regulatory censure can follow failures to escalate. This course ensures that those on the front line of disclosure management understand their individual accountabilities, know when to escalate internally and externally, and can document their actions in a way that withstands scrutiny. Completing this course alongside the companion all-staff awareness course creates a coherent, defensible compliance programme for your organisation.