Overview
The UK regime is built on the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 (PIDA), which inserted whistleblowing protections into the Employment Rights Act 1996.
Qualifying disclosures
A worker is protected where they reasonably believe a disclosure is in the public interest and tends to show one of: a criminal offence, breach of a legal obligation, miscarriage of justice, danger to health and safety, environmental damage, or the deliberate concealment of any of these.
Who is protected
- Employees and a broad category of "workers", including agency workers and some contractors.
- Protection covers dismissal and any detriment suffered because of a protected disclosure.
Routes for disclosure
Disclosures to the employer or a prescribed regulator carry protection most readily; wider disclosures (for example to the media) face additional reasonableness tests.
This guide is general information, not legal advice.
Published 29 June 2026