Employees in public services who speak out against malpractice are too often ‘shockingly treated’, MPs have warned.
Private and third sector contractors to the public sector were today urged to have ‘strong and effective’ whistleblowing practices in place to support staff members who highlight wrongdoing and protect them from bullying.
A report from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) added that compromise agreement should not be used to ‘buy silence’ from whistleblowers and instead should be subject to approval from the Cabinet Office.
PAC chair Margaret Hodge highlighted the important role of whistle blowing in uncovering details about cases including the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation scandal.
Pressure was also placed on government departments to ensure greater protection for employees.
‘Far too often whistleblowers have been shockingly treated, and departments have sometimes failed to protect some whistleblowers from being victimised,’ Hodge said.
‘Those who have come forward have had to show remarkable bravery. Whistleblowers’ fears of reprisal are often justified, and such experiences are likely to deter other employees from raising a concern.
‘All government employees should be provided with a route map that shows how to report issues internally and externally. Private and third sector contractors to the public sector must also be obliged to have strong and effective whistleblowing policies in place.’
