Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier has unveiled a new guide to assist individuals in reporting serious misconduct in the workplace. The guide, aligned with the Protected Disclosures (Protection of Whistleblowers) Act 2022, clarifies the process of disclosing serious wrongdoing—commonly known as “whistleblowing”—and outlines the protections available to those who come forward.
Under the Act, disclosures can be made through internal channels within an organisation, such as designated procedures or to the head or deputy head of the entity. However, if the issue involves senior staff members or if individuals prefer not to report internally, they have the option to approach external authorities.
These appropriate external authorities include:
- Heads of public sector (government) organisations.
- Officers of Parliament, such as the Ombudsman, the Controller and Auditor-General, and the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment.
- Professional bodies with disciplinary power over their members. Examples include:
- The Law Society for lawyers.
- The Social Workers Registration Board for social workers.
- The Medical Council for doctors.
- The Real Estate Authority for real estate agents.
- The Teaching Council for teachers.
It’s important to note that a Minister or a member of Parliament is not considered an appropriate authority for disclosures.
For more details on identifying the right authority and the disclosure process, refer to the new guide.
Whistleblowers 