I reported safety concerns and was fired. Is this whistleblower protection?

What the Law Says

The Employment Rights Act 1996 provides legal protection for workers who raise genuine concerns about wrongdoing — including health and safety risks — in the workplace.

Under section 43B of the Employment Rights Act 1996, a 'protected disclosure' is one made in the public interest and concerning specific types of wrongdoing — such as a criminal offence, breach of legal obligation, miscarriage of justice, danger to health and safety, or damage to the environment.

To qualify, the worker must reasonably believe the information disclosed is true and that the disclosure is made to an appropriate person — for example, their employer. Crucially, no minimum length of service is required for whistleblower protection.

If you are dismissed 'because of' making a protected disclosure, that dismissal is automatically unfair — meaning you don’t need two years’ service to bring a claim, and compensation is uncapped.

Statutory Text

In this Part a 'protected disclosure' means a disclosure of information which, in the reasonable belief of the worker making the disclosure, tends to show one or more of the following— (a) that a criminal offence has been committed, is being committed or is likely to be committed, (b) that a person has failed, is failing or is likely to fail to comply with any legal obligation to which he is subject, (c) that a miscarriage of justice has occurred, is occurring or is likely to occur, (d) that the health or safety of any individual has been, is being or is likely to be endangered, (e) that the environment has been, is being or is likely to be damaged, (f) that information tending to show any matter falling within any one of the preceding paragraphs has been, is being or is likely to be deliberately concealed.

— Employment Rights Act 1996, s. 43B — Meaning of 'protected disclosure'

What to Do

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