Lawmakers want more channels for whistle-blowers
Published:Thursday | April 24, 2025 | 12:10 AM
With a paucity of reports made to designated agencies under the Protected Disclosures Act, lawmakers reviewing the more than 10-year-old law are considering a proposal for employees to divulge information to intermediaries.
A joint select committee reviewing the Protected Disclosures Act yesterday discussed a suggestion for employees to provide information to persons such as pastors, union leaders, among others, for which they believe their identities will be held in the strictest confidence.
These intermediaries would then report the disclosure to designated persons or agencies as set out in the Protected Disclosures legislation.
The objective of the Protected Disclosures Act is to encourage and facilitate the making of protected disclosures, by employees, of improper conduct in the public interest.
The statute also regulates the receiving, investigating or otherwise dealing with disclosures of improper conduct, so as to protect employees who make specified disclosures from being subjected to occupational detriment.
Additionally, the legislation seeks to protect the confidentiality of the employee making the disclosure and any statement given, or document, information or thing provided. It also grants immunity from civil or criminal proceedings or any disciplinary proceeding to a person who makes a protected disclosure, or receives, investigates or otherwise deals with a protected disclosure.
While expressing support for workplace whistle-blowers to make complaints to agencies or persons other than those named in the law, Delroy Chuck, committee chairman, said the intermediaries should not be subject to sanctions if they did not report the disclosure.
He argued that if the intermediary is of the view that there is some merit in the allegation, then a report could be made.