@font-face { font-family: "Calibri"; }@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; The research also found that two thirds of British workers are unaware of the law when it comes to protecting whistleblowers in the workplace. More than two thirds (69%) of those questioned stated that they had no idea that legislation exists to protect them should they do the right thing.
Despite the fact that 71% of the sample knew that their employer had a policy on illegally used software, 76% of the same group stated that they would not report misuse! More than two thirds (69%) of workers are unaware of the law that protects whistleblowers and 13% stated that they would not report illicit behaviour to protect their jobs; 22% because they did not wish to be seen as a whistleblower and 46% simply did not care.
Of the 24% who would report misuse half of them cited their belief in 'good practice' as the reason they made a report, while a further 31% felt it was correct to stay within the law. Julian Heathcote Hobbins, general counsel, FAST, said: "You are protected as a whistleblower if you are a 'worker'. If you believe that malpractice in the workplace is happening, has happened in the past or will happen in the future; are revealing information of the right type (a 'qualifying disclosure'); revealing it to the right person, and in the right way (making it a 'protected disclosure').
Furthermore, 'Worker' has a flexible meaning in the case of whistle blowing. As well as employees it includes agency workers and people who aren't employed but are in training with employers. Some self-employed people may be considered to be workers for the purpose of whistle blowing if they are supervised or work off-site. "What is revealed by this research is a pretty depressing picture not only for the software industry contributing to our economic success and providing employment in, but across many other content driven sectors such as music, film and games. Not only are workers seemingly completely unaware of their rights in the workplace when it comes to doing the right thing, the worrying message that is coming out of this research is that 'we do not care'."
The survey polled 204 London professionals, using face-to-face interviews in the second half of August 2011.
