What is a whisteblower?
An employee who makes a protected disclosure (sometimes called ‘whistle blowing’) when they report serious wrongdoing in the workplace that they reasonably believe is true or likely to be true.
New legislation to protect whisteblowers came into effect on 1 July 2022. The new Protected Disclosures (Protection of Whisteblowers) Act 2022 makes it easier for workers to raise concerns about serious workplace misconduct.
Changes in the new Act include:
- extending the definition of serious wrongdoing
- allowing people to report misconduct directly to an authorised person other than their employer
- improving protection for whistleblowers
- detailing the types of retaliation and victimisation whistleblowers are protected from.
Business owners should be aware of the changes to the Act and what you must do if an employee reports a wrongdoing.
Stay up to date with legislation changes https://www.ebp.co.nz/legislation/
