Employment Rights Act 1996, section 43E

Disclosure to Minister of the Crown

Part IVA Protected disclosures

A qualifying disclosure is made in accordance with this section if—

(a)the worker’s employer is—

(i)an individual appointed under any enactment [F178 (including any enactment comprised in, or in an instrument made under, an Act of the Scottish Parliament)F178] by a Minister of the Crown [F178 or a member of the Scottish ExecutiveF178] , or

(ii)a body any of whose members are so appointed, and

(b) the disclosure is made F179 ... to a Minister of the Crown [F178 or a member of the Scottish Executive F178] .

Definitions used in section 43E 4

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
employer

(4) In this Act “employer”, in relation to an employee or a worker, means the person by whom the employee or worker is (or, where the employment has ceased, was) employed.

Defined in s.230(4) · 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

(2) For the purposes of this Part “employer” includes—

(a)in relation to a worker falling within paragraph (a) of subsection (1), the person who substantially determines or determined the terms on which he is or was engaged,

(aa)in relation to a worker falling within paragraph (ba) of that subsection, NHS England , or the Local Health Board referred to in that paragraph,

(ab)in relation to a worker falling within paragraph (bb) of that subsection, the Health Board referred to in that paragraph,

(b)in relation to a worker falling within paragraph (c) of that subsection, NHS England or the board referred to in that paragraph, and

(c)in relation to a worker falling within paragraph (cb) or (d) of that subsection, the person providing the work experience or training.

Defined in s.43K(2) · see it in the full Act

Cases considering section 43E 4

Clyde & Co LLP and another v Bates van Winkelhof

[2014] UKSC 32 · 21 May 2014Defines

The provision formed part of the statutory scheme favouring disclosure to responsible internal persons or prescribed channels before wider disclosure (see para [43]).

Babula v Waltham Forest College

[2007] EWCA Civ 174 · 7 March 2007Limits

The good-faith requirement for disclosure to a Minister of the Crown was noted as part of the statutory safeguards against abuse. (see para [15])

Street v Derbyshire Unemployed Workers' Centre

[2004] EWCA Civ 964 · 21 July 2004Defines

A disclosure to a Minister of the Crown was identified as a route requiring the worker to establish good faith (see para [6]).

What each judgment says about section 43E is in the case-law panel in the full Act.

Amendments and notes

2 notes from legislation.gov.uk

Amendments

  1. F178Words in s. 43E inserted (27.7.2000) by S.I. 2000/2040, art. 2, Sch. Pt. I para. 19(2)(3) (with art. 3)
  2. F179Words in s. 43E(b) omitted (25.6.2013) by virtue of Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 (c. 24), ss. 18(1)(b), 103(2) (with s. 24(6))