Employment and Whistleblowing Overview

Internal tip-offs - either through formal whistleblowing mechanisms or informal channels – are the most common triggers for investigations.

Employees are at the heart of investigations and organisations must have in place effective whistleblowing policies. Interviewing employees and gathering relevant information is crucial to the outcome of the investigation process. Knowledge and awareness of parallel regulatory processes is very important and, in some cases, the potential for criminal prosecutions must be taken into account.

Our lawyers work with boards, investigators and HR professionals in setting up the investigation process and in the preparation, conduct and analysis of employee interviews as well as assisting in drawing up the report and findings.

Our work

• We develop whistleblowing policies in the context of investigating complaints and allegations of wrongdoing
• We develop processes and procedures for the interviewing of individual employees as well as addressing representation rights issues arising
• The conduct of related disciplinary investigations and resulting disciplinary action and challenge is a regular feature of our work
• Defence of litigation claims of penalisation under Protected Disclosures legislation