The legal charity Protect worked on 3,336 cases in 2024, up 10% on the previous year. All callers to Protect's legal advice line are connected with a legally qualified or legally experienced adviser, supervised by a qualified solicitor, who helps them think how best to raise their concern and guide them through the law. As well as telephone and email support, the charity provides online templates to support legal claims.
Overall, 41% of calls came from the public sector, 26% from the private sector and 21% from the charity sector.
Just under a third (30%) of callers worked in health and social work, 13% in education and 7% in financial services.
Worryingly, at the time of their call to the helpline, more than two thirds (68%) said they faced victimisation or felt forced to resign. 40% had their concern ignored by their employer, and only one fifth (21%) said their employer was investigating their concern.
Moreover, the majority of calls came from people earning lower incomes although 6% earned £70,000-£90,000 and 7% earned more than £90,000.
Elizabeth Gardiner, chief executive, Protect, said: ‘More than half (51%) of callers to our whistleblowing Advice Line earn less than £30,000.
‘These are often workers in the charity or health and social work sectors raising safeguarding issues or concerns about patient safety.
‘Whistleblowers provide a gift of information to their employers. They are the eyes and ears on the frontline calling things out, identifying safety concerns, protecting the reputation and the bottom line. But whistleblowing is not easy. People who come forward—as witnesses or as victims—should be actively listened to. They need to be confident that action will be taken and they won’t be ignored.’
