In this Act a “protected disclosure” means a qualifying disclosure (as defined by section 43B) which is made by a worker in accordance with any of sections 43C to 43H.
Definitions used in section 43A 3
- qualifying disclosure
(1) In this Part a “qualifying disclosure” means any disclosure of information which, in the reasonable belief of the worker making the disclosure, is made in the public interest and tends to show one or more of the following—
(a)that a criminal offence has been committed, is being committed or is likely to be committed,
(b)that a person has failed, is failing or is likely to fail to comply with any legal obligation to which he is subject,
(c)that a miscarriage of justice has occurred, is occurring or is likely to occur,
(d)that the health or safety of any individual has been, is being or is likely to be endangered,
(da)that sexual harassment has occurred, is occurring or is likely to occur,
(e)that the environment has been, is being or is likely to be damaged, or
(f)that information tending to show any matter falling within any one of the preceding paragraphs has been, is being or is likely to be deliberately concealed.
Defined in s.43B(1) · see it in the full Act“qualifying disclosure” has the meaning given by section 43B;
Defined in s.43L(1) · see it in the full Act- workers
(4) The Secretary of State may by order make amendments to this section as to what individuals count as “workers” for the purposes of this Part (despite not being within the definition in section 230(3)).
Defined in s.43K(4) · see it in the full Act- worker
(1) For the purposes of this Part “worker” includes an individual who is not a worker as defined by section 230(3) but who—
(a)works or worked for a person in circumstances in which—
(i)he is or was introduced or supplied to do that work by a third person, and
(ii)the terms on which he is or was engaged to do the work are or were in practice substantially determined not by him but by the person for whom he works or worked, by the third person or by both of them,
(b) contracts or contracted with a person, for the purposes of that person’s business, for the execution of work to be done in a place not under the control or management of that person and would fall within section 230(3)(b) if for “personally” in that provision there were substituted “(whether personally or otherwise)”,
( ba )works or worked as a person performing services under a contract entered into by him with NHS England under section 83(2), 84, 92, 100, 107, 115(4), 117 or 134 of, or Schedule 12 to, the National Health Service Act 2006 or with a Local Health Board under section 41(2)(b), 42, 50, 57, 64 or 92 of, or Schedule 7 to, the National Health Service (Wales) Act 2006 ,
( bb )works or worked as a person performing services under a contract entered into by him with a Health Board under section 17J or 17Q of the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978,
(c) works or worked as a person providing services in accordance with arrangements made—
(i)by NHS England under section 126 of the National Health Service Act 2006, or Local Health Board under section 71 or 80 of the National Health Service (Wales) Act 2006 , or
( ii ) by a Health Board under section 2C, 17AA, 17C, . . . 25, 26 or 27 of the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978, or
(cb) is or was provided with work experience provided pursuant to a course of education or training approved by, or under arrangements with, the Nursing and Midwifery Council in accordance with article 15(6)(a) of the Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001 (S.I. 2002/253), or
(d)is or was provided with work experience provided pursuant to a training course or programme or with training for employment (or with both) otherwise than—
(i)under a contract of employment, or
(ii)by an educational establishment on a course run by that establishment;
and any reference to a worker’s contract, to employment or to a worker being “employed” shall be construed accordingly.
Defined in s.43K(1) · see it in the full Act(3) In this Act “worker” (except in the phrases “shop worker” and “betting worker”) means an individual who has entered into or works under (or, where the employment has ceased, worked under)—
(a)a contract of employment, or
(b)any other contract, whether express or implied and (if it is express) whether oral or in writing, whereby the individual undertakes to do or perform personally any work or services for another party to the contract whose status is not by virtue of the contract that of a client or customer of any profession or business undertaking carried on by the individual;
Defined in s.230(3) · see it in the full Act(6) This section has effect subject to sections 43K , 47B(3) and 49B(10) ; and for the purposes of Part XIII so far as relating to Part IVA or section 47B, “worker”, “worker’s contract” and, in relation to a worker, “employer”, “employment” and “employed” have the extended meaning given by section 43K.
Defined in s.230(6) · see it in the full Act
Cases considering section 43A 63
Optosafe Limited & Anor v John Mark Robertson
The court treated the clause’s express preservation of the right to make disclosures under s.43A as demonstrating that the non-disparagement clause did not purport to preclude protected disclosures (see paras [30]-[34]).
Toby Nicol v World Travel and Tourism Council & Ors
The EAT used section 43A to identify a protected disclosure as a qualifying disclosure made in accordance with the statutory routes. This statutory structure informed its conclusion that an indirect decision-maker must know something of the disclosure’s substance. (see paras [73]; [82]-[85])
R Kealy v Westfield Community Development Association
Section 43A requires a protected disclosure to be a qualifying disclosure under section 43B made in accordance with sections 43C to 43G. The tribunal had to address those stages in that order. (see paras [15]-[18])
- Leclerc v AMTAC Certification Ltd
- Robinson v His Highness Sheikh Khalid Bin Saqr Al Qasimi (Whistleblowing, Protected disclosures)
- Korashi v Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Local Health Board
- Smith v London Metropolitan University
- Ezsias v North Glamorgan NHS Trust
- Meares v. Medway Primary Care Trust
- Royal Mail Group Ltd v Jhuti
- Phyllis Sullivan v Isle of Wight Council
- Simpson v Cantor Fitzgerald Europe
- Jesudason v Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust
- Chesterton Global Ltd & Anor v Nurmohamed & Anor (Rev 1)
- NHS Manchester v Fecitt & Ors
- Meares v Medway Primary Care Trust
- Babula v Waltham Forest College
- Pinnington v Swansea City & County & Anor
- Street v Derbyshire Unemployed Workers' Centre
- Peter J Jackson v The Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police
43 more judgments, and what each says about section 43A, are in the case-law panel in the full Act.