Information for whistleblowers
Source: gov.uk (2025-11-28)

Whistleblowing is when an employee or ex-employee reports suspected wrongdoing at work.

Whistleblowing is when an employee or ex-employee reports suspected wrongdoing at work. Officially this is called “making a disclosure in the public interest”. If you suspect wrongdoing in your workplace, you should follow the whistleblowing procedures in your own organisation. If there aren’t any or you are not comfortable reporting the matter internally there are a number of prescribed bodies to whom you can report in confidence. You can find useful advice on the gov.uk website. (https://www.gov.uk/whistleblowing/overview)

The Serious Fraud Office is one of those prescribed bodies and we would like to hear from you if the wrongdoing concerns serious or complex fraud, bribery or corruption involving for example, a UK company, charitable organisation, central or local government departments. In such circumstances we would urge you to contact us using our secure reporting form. (https://sforeporting.egressforms.com/)

Legal protection for whistleblowers

The Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 (http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/23/contents) covers employees, contractors, trainees, agency staff, home-workers, police officers and every professional in the NHS. The usual employment law restrictions on minimum qualification period and age do not apply to this Act. It does not cover self-employed people (other than in the NHS), volunteers, the intelligence services or the armed forces. If you require confidential advice on what is protected by PIDA and how best to raise your concern, you may want to speak to your own solicitor or speak to Protect, an independent whistleblowing charity. You can look at their website (https://protect-advice.org.uk/) or contact them on their free, confidential advice line on xx-xxxx-xxxx.

The SFO can’t give legal advice or intervene in matters of employment relations and we have no powers to determine whether or not PIDA protection applies. However, we will log your disclosure if you want a record made and fully assess your referral. Please ask us at the time you make a report and we will ensure that your disclosure to us is logged for future reference should you require it.

Annual Report on Whistleblowing Disclosures 2024-25

This report is made in accordance with the Prescribed Persons (Reports on Disclosures of Information) Regulations 2017.

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) tackles the top tier of serious or complex fraud, bribery and corruption. We investigate and prosecute a small number of large economic crime cases and use our statutory powers to recover the proceeds of such crime. It is our aim to do so fairly and effectively and this includes treating victims, witnesses and whistleblowers with dignity and respect.

The Director of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is a ‘prescribed person’ for the purpose of whistleblowing legislation and is required to publish an annual report concerning the number of whistleblowing disclosures made by workers about their employers. To meet the criteria for inclusion in the report the disclosure must be a qualifying disclosure. This means:

The worker reasonably believes that the information disclosed is substantially true and the relevant failure relates to serious or complex fraud (including bribery and corruption), civil recovery of the proceeds of crime, civil recovery investigations or disclosure orders in relation to confiscation investigations; and

The Director of the SFO reasonably believes that in the reasonable belief of the worker the disclosure is made in the public interest and tends to show a criminal offence, miscarriage of justice or other relevant failure providing that the worker does not breach legal professional privilege or commit an offence by making it.

The SFO’s policy is to treat whistleblowing disclosures in confidence. Those who wish to report wrongdoing relating to matters falling within the SFO’s remit may do so via our online secure portal. (https://www.sfo.gov.uk/contact-us/secure-reporting-form/)

During the period from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025, the SFO Intelligence Division managed 167 whistleblowing disclosures that qualified for inclusion in this report, as defined by section 230(3) of the Employment Rights Act 1996, and/or “making a disclosure in the public interest”.
- The SFO took action (sent a personalised response, requested further information and/or conducted further enquiries with partner agencies) in 153 disclosures from 167.
- In 14 disclosures, it was not possible to take further action because no contact details were provided.
- Overall, the SFO took action in over 92% of whistleblowing disclosures received.
Whistleblowers continue to provide a vital source of information to the SFO in the fight against economic crime.