The aim of this policy is to provide an internal mechanism for reporting, investigating and remedying any wrongdoing in the workplace. In most cases the member of staff should not find it necessary to alert anyone externally.
The law recognises that in some circumstances it may be appropriate for you to report your concerns to certain external bodies including:
- Such body or person (if any) prescribed by the Secretary of State under Section 43F of the Employment Rights Act 1996, as amended by Section 1 of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 as being a prescribed person to whom the particular type of issue in question can be disclosed (a ‘Prescribed Person’). An up to date list is available at the following link;
- a Government Minister;
- a legal adviser in the course of taking legal advice.
It will very rarely if ever be appropriate to alert the media.
A member of staff who makes an external disclosure of the kind described in section 3 to a Prescribed Person who reasonably believes that the information disclosed, and any allegations contained in it, are substantially true, and that the default lies within the remit of the prescribed person in question, will be protected against victimisation or other adverse treatment.
Wider disclosure to any other person will only be protected if it is not made for personal gain, and the employee making the disclosure:
- has previously disclosed substantially the same information to the University or to a prescribed person; or
- reasonably believes, at the time of the disclosure, that they will be subjected to a detriment if they make disclosure to the University or a prescribed person; or
- reasonably believes (where there is no prescribed person) that material evidence will be concealed or destroyed if disclosure is made to the University
and in all the circumstances, it is reasonable for them to make the disclosure.
Complaints under this policy will usually relate to the conduct of University staff, but they may sometimes relate to the actions of a third party. In some circumstances the law will also protect staff who raise the matter with the third party directly. However, the University encourages reporting such concerns internally first.