World Whistleblowers' Day 2026 - Veritau

World Whistleblowers’ Day 2026

10 June 2026

World Whistleblowers’ Day takes place on Tuesday 23 June 2026, and our “we’re all ears” campaign is back to highlight the importance of speaking up, tackling corruption and wrongdoing, and creating a culture where concerns are taken seriously.

Whistleblowing happens when an employee raises a concern about wrongdoing within their organisation, based on a reasonable suspicion that misconduct has occurred or may occur.

To be considered whistleblowing, the concern must fall into one of the following categories, known as “protected disclosures”:

• A criminal offence
• Failing to comply with a legal obligation
• Health or safety breaches / danger
• Sexual harassment
• Miscarriage of justice
• Environmental damage
• Failing to report or deliberately concealing any of the above

Employees who raise such concerns are protected under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, as well as their organisation’s own whistleblowing policy.

Not all issues count as whistleblowing. To qualify, the concern must be in the public interest or relate to risks affecting others or the organisation itself. Personal employment matters, such as disputes with colleagues, pay issues, or grievances about your own role, fall outside whistleblowing and should be handled through other HR or organisations procedures.

The Employment Rights Act, 2025, expands whistleblowing protections by expressly recognising disclosures related to sexual harassment as a ‘protected disclosure’. From 6 April 2026, workers who report sexual harassment in the public interest have statutory protection from detriment and unfair dismissal.

If you do need to raise a whistleblowing concern, the first step is to check your organisation’s whistleblowing policy. This will explain what qualifies, outline the reporting process, and suggest who to speak to. While concerns are often raised with a line manager, the policy will also provide alternative routes if that isn’t appropriate.

If your organisation is a Veritau client, you have the option to call Veritau confidentially at 0800 9179 247 or email [email protected]. We will then make sure your concerns are shared with senior officers.

Is your organisation a school or multi-academy trust? Download our free-to-use whistleblowing policy template

Earlier this year we launched a free‑to‑use whistleblowing policy template, designed specifically for schools and MATs. It’s practical, easy to adopt, and built around the needs of today’s education sector.

Whether you’re a standalone academy refreshing your policies or a growing MAT aiming for consistency across multiple schools, this template offers a ready‑made solution.

Here’s a snapshot of what it includes:

• A clear explanation of whistleblowing and what counts as a protected disclosure
• Simple reporting routes so staff know exactly how to raise concerns
• Reassurance on confidentiality and protection for those who speak up
• The latest legislative updates, including changes introduced under the Employment Rights Act 2025
• A practical guide for managers and other employees on what to do if they receive a whistleblowing report
• Links to relevant legislation and external support for added clarity

Download the template

The whistleblowing policy template is available now and free for any school or MAT to use.

Meet Veritau’s whistleblowing team

Name: Kelly Holmes

Role: Senior Corporate Fraud Investigator

What does a typical day look like for you? There’s no such thing as a typical day in fraud, one day I could be doing desk based investigating and conducting interviews under caution, the next I could be taking part in a parking day of action where we’re out on the ground with the parking CEOs, or providing support to HR teams on complex whistleblowing reports. I also write fraud awareness sessions which are to be delivered both on Teams and in person at conferences. I could be taking part in conducting checks for the National Fraud Initiative data matching programme one day and shortlisting/interviewing for new staff the next. Supporting my sub team including a new corporate fraud trainee is a big part of my day to day responsibilities currently.

What do you like the most about your role? The fact that the role is so varied, keeps it interesting. The investigations alone tend to be very different, some are more complex than others but the majority of cases are really interesting. Plus the people I work with are great, I have worked for Veritau for more than 16 years so I have formed some really lovely relationships.

If you could have dinner with anyone in the world, who would it be? I could say some highly inspirational people but in reality it would be Ryan Reynolds, Ant & Dec or Chris Ramsey. I love their sense of humour and I think dinner with any of them would be very entertaining!

Name: Karina Ward (there’s two Karinas in the fraud team!)

Role: Corporate Fraud Investigator

What does a typical day look like for you? Every day is different depending on the cases you have. As an investigator the majority of the day is spent progressing cases but that varies from desk-based work, to visiting individuals or interviewing them under caution. All the investigators in the team also have a specialism – mine is whistleblowing and internal fraud. Alongside the other specialists we deliver fraud awareness, aid in triaging referrals received from concerned staff members or members of the public, and liaise with the HR departments across our clients where necessary.

What do you like the most about your role? The variation! There’s always interesting cases or visits taking you to places you haven’t seen before. There might be similarities, but no two days are ever the same.

If you could have dinner with anyone in the world, who would it be? Dead or alive I would say the late Dr Oliver Sacks. He was a neurologist and author of fascinating books like Awakenings and The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat. I think he would have some very interesting stories to tell about weird conditions of the brain!

Find out more

We conduct a wide range of investigations, including whistleblowing allegations, fraud and corruption, misconduct, breaches of contract, and more.

You don’t need to have an annual support contract with us – we can support you with one-off investigations and projects. Read more about our whistleblowing services.

For academies and non-maintained schools, we provide a specialist whistleblowing support service.

Speak to a member of our team: [email protected] | 01904 552943