The bar for speaking up has risen.
Recent UK legislation puts the way you receive and handle concerns at the centre of your legal defence.
Harassment duty from 30 October 2026
Employers must take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment and are liable for harassment of staff by third parties. Since 6 April 2026, sexual harassment is also a qualifying whistleblowing disclosure.
Official sourceFailure to prevent fraud
Since 1 September 2025, large organisations can be prosecuted if an associated person commits fraud to benefit them, unless they had reasonable prevention procedures in place.
Official sourceAdequate procedures for bribery
Under the Bribery Act 2010, a commercial organisation’s defence rests on adequate procedures, and confidential reporting routes are a recognised part of them.
Official sourceRegulated and EU operations
FCA-regulated firms must meet SYSC 18 whistleblowing rules, and EU subsidiaries with 50 or more workers must offer internal reporting channels under the EU Directive.
Official sourceFor a full overview, see our UK safeguarding and whistleblowing legislation guide.
One platform for every site, subsidiary and supplier.
Speak Out Safe gives each part of your business its own branded portal and QR code, with every report routed to the right people and recorded in one place.
- Anonymous reporting with secure two-way follow-up
- A separate portal for each site, subsidiary or audience
- Voice notes turned into text, in any of 29 languages
- Case management with notes, closure codes and a full audit trail
- Statistics for board and audit committee reporting
- Data processing agreement as standard, with nothing sensitive sent by email
Questions we are often asked.
Is a whistleblowing channel a legal requirement for UK businesses?
Most UK private employers are not required by statute to run a whistleblowing channel, but workers who speak up are protected by law. FCA-regulated firms must meet SYSC 18, EU subsidiaries with 50 or more workers must provide internal channels, and the failure to prevent fraud and bribery defences both depend on effective procedures, which normally include confidential reporting.
Can people report anonymously?
Yes. Reporters can choose to stay anonymous and still answer follow-up questions through secure two-way messaging, so you can investigate without ever learning their name.
Can we have separate portals for different parts of the business?
Yes. Each site, subsidiary or audience, such as staff, contractors or suppliers, can have its own branded portal and QR code, with reports routed to the right case handlers.
Show your board a speak-up process that works.
A short, no-obligation demo with a founder, set up around your organisation.