PAS 1998:2008 Whistleblowing Arrangements Code of Practice

Research for the Institute of Business Ethics has shown that while one in four employees are aware of misconduct at work, more than half (52%) of those stay silent.

To mark 10 years of the the Public Interest Disclosure Act, BSI British Standards have produced PAS 1998:2008 Whistleblowing Arrangements Code of Practice which is now available free to download.

This Publicly Available Specification (PAS) sets out good practice for the introduction, revision, operation and review of effective whistleblowing arrangements. With the increasing emphasis on the role that whistleblowing plays “both as an instrument of good governance and a manifestation of a more open culture”, this code of practice has been developed to be of assistance to organizations across the private, public and voluntary sectors. 

Whistleblowing is the popular term used when an employee raises a concern about a possible fraud, crime, danger or other serious risk that could threaten customers, colleagues, shareholders, the public or the organization’s own reputation.

As an early warning system, whistleblowing can help alert employers to risks such as:

• a danger in the workplace;
• fraud in, on or by the organization;
• mis-selling or price fixing;
• offering, taking or soliciting bribes;
• dumping damaging material in the environment;
• misreporting performance data;
• medical negligence in a hospital;
• supplying food unfit for consumption; or
• wanton neglect of people in care.

The recommendations and guidance in PAS 1998 are of particular relevance to public bodies, listed companies and organizations (e.g. in the health and care sectors) where there is legislative or regulatory expectation that effective whistleblowing arrangements are in place.