Author: Adrian Ramdat (Director of Training & Consultancy)
July 2025
Whistleblowing is often described as a test of workplace culture and for good reason. When someone raises the alarm about wrongdoing, how we respond says everything about what we stand for as leaders, organisations, and professionals.
Over the past year or so, there’s been a steady stream of whistleblowing cases making headlines across the UK. Some have ended well for those speaking up, with tribunals recognising the public interest in their disclosures. Others paint a far more troubling picture, where individuals were silenced, sidelined, or forced out altogether.
At The Signature Brand Training & Consultancy, we’ve been watching these developments closely. Not just because of the legal implications, but because they offer real lessons for how to build better, safer, and more accountable workplaces. Here’s a look at some of the most recent cases and what they reveal.
When Whistleblowing Works: Lessons in Good Practice
Josie Stewart – Speaking Out on the Kabul Evacuation
Josie Stewart, a senior civil servant, raised serious concerns about how political figures influenced decisions during the 2021 evacuation of Kabul. After internal routes failed, she went to the BBC and was dismissed. A tribunal later found in her favour, ruling that her disclosure was not only reasonable but firmly in the public interest.
Why it matters: This case reminds us that legal protection exists for whistleblowers, even in the civil service and that public interest can outweigh internal protocol.
Stephen Cresswell – Challenging the Numbers at HS2
Cresswell, a contractor working on the HS2 project, flagged concerns about misleading financial projections. He was dropped from the project shortly after. The tribunal awarded him over £319,000 in compensation, acknowledging he was treated unfairly for doing the right thing.
Why it matters: Contractors and consultants may not always feel they have the same protections as employees but this case shows the law still supports them and detriment is applicable to not just employees.
When Things Go Wrong: The Cost of Getting It Wrong
Rowaa Ahmar – Greenwashing Concerns at Drax
Ahmar, a former lobbyist for energy company Drax, questioned the sustainability of its biomass sourcing and says she was punished for it. Her role was downgraded, her probation extended, and eventually, she was dismissed. The case is still ongoing.
Lesson: If your culture doesn’t support challenge, especially around core claims like environmental credentials, you’re not just risking internal dissent, you’re gambling with your organisations reputation.
Dr Nigel MacLennan – Raising the Alarm in the Charity Sector
As a trustee of the British Psychological Society, Dr MacLennan raised concerns about governance. He was later expelled. While his legal claim didn’t succeed, the tribunal made an important point: trustees may, in the future, be seen as “workers” for the purposes of whistleblowing protection.
Lesson: Don’t get caught up in technicalities. If someone is raising legitimate concerns, protect them, whatever their job title.
Ms Sullivan – Rejected After Raising Concerns in a Job Application
This case involved a job applicant who raised safeguarding concerns during the recruitment process. She wasn’t hired, and tried to claim whistleblower protection. The courts ruled that, except in some NHS contexts, job applicants don’t qualify for protection.
Lesson: Even where legal protections fall short, ethical practice should prevail. Taking someone seriously costs little, ignoring them can cost a lot more. (I `personally can´t understand why an organisation wouldn´t want to hear from people who can raise issues of concern…)
A Deeper Problem: Whistleblowing in the NHS
Paul Calvert – Speaking Up About Patient Deaths
Calvert, an NHS whistleblower, exposed cover-ups related to avoidable patient deaths at the North East Ambulance Service. He turned down a non-disclosure agreement and went public, then lost his job and faced ongoing bullying. His disclosures sparked a national review.
Lesson: NDAs and silence clauses are still being used to shut people down. That’s not just bad practice it’s dangerous and the use of NDA´s should be avoided.
The Bigger Picture
Many frontline staff continue to report being ignored, sidelined or even pushed out after raising concerns. Officially, whistleblowing is encouraged but the reality can feel very different.
Lesson: You can’t paper over a broken culture with a good policy. If staff believe there are consequences to speaking up, they’ll stop doing it and that puts everyone at risk.
So, What Does This All Mean for Employers?
If these stories have one thing in common, it’s this: the way we treat whistleblowers sends a powerful message both to them and to everyone else, including customers and the wider public.
Here’s what we take from the recent cases:
Protection needs to go further. Some roles still fall through the cracks legally. That doesn’t mean they should fall through the cracks ethically.
Tick-box policies aren’t enough. You need a culture that genuinely supports openness and leaders who model it.
Reputation is fragile. It’s tempting to bury bad news. But history shows that when you try to suppress the truth, it usually comes back louder.
No Legal Reform (Yet)
There was hope that the UK’s whistleblowing laws would be overhauled. A Whistleblowing Bill proposing an independent watchdog and tougher penalties for retaliation was in the works but it was dropped ahead of the 2024 general election. It hasn’t been revived since, albeit there have been some discussions, about the future of whistleblowing, in parliament and hopefully things will move forwards at some stage.
But, for now, we’re still relying on the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, a law that many believe is outdated and too narrow.
What that means is this: It’s up to organisations to do better. To go beyond legal minimums. To show that speaking up is not just tolerated, but valued.
How We Can Help
At The Signature Brand, we support organisations in turning that intent into action. We offer:
Accredited Whistleblower Training – For HR teams, compliance leads, investigators and governance professionals.
Awareness Training for Staff and Managers – Helping people recognise concerns early and respond appropriately.
Bitesize, CPD-Friendly Training Modules – Short, flexible sessions focused on practical themes such as What is Whistleblowing, Understanding Detriment & Consequences and How to Maximise the Information from a Whistleblower.
Whether you're building a new whistleblowing framework, want to sharpen your culture and confidence around speaking up, if you want a training programme, some CPD for staff or a policy review we’re here to help.
We can help you create a culture where doing the right thing isn’t the exception, it’s the expectation.
Want to find out more?
Take a look at our website https://thesignaturebrand.co.uk/training/whistleblower-aka-speak-up-speak-out-training/ or contact us either by email at info@thesignaturebrand.co.uk or give us a call.