Employment Rights Act 1996, section 43F

Disclosure to prescribed person

Part IVA Protected disclosures

(1)A qualifying disclosure is made in accordance with this section if the worker—

(a) makes the disclosure F180 ... to a person prescribed by an order made by the Secretary of State for the purposes of this section, and

(b)reasonably believes—

(i)that the relevant failure falls within any description of matters in respect of which that person is so prescribed, and

(ii)that the information disclosed, and any allegation contained in it, are substantially true.

(2)An order prescribing persons for the purposes of this section may specify persons or descriptions of persons, and shall specify the descriptions of matters in respect of which each person, or persons of each description, is or are prescribed.

Definitions used in section 43F 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
the relevant failure

(5) In this Part “the relevant failure”, in relation to a qualifying disclosure, means the matter falling within paragraphs (a) to (f) of subsection (1).

Defined in s.43B(5) · see it in the full Act

“the relevant failure”, in relation to a qualifying disclosure, has the meaning given by section 43B(5);

Defined in s.43L(1) · see it in the full Act

Cases considering section 43F 12

Jesudason v Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust

[2020] EWCA Civ 73 · 31 January 2020Defines

The court treated the copy of the appellant’s letter sent to the CQC as a disclosure to a prescribed person. That did not make the same communication a protected disclosure to its other recipients (see paras [22]; [34]; [66]-[67]). The court identified the reasonable-belief-in-substantial-truth requirement as a higher threshold applying to disclosures to prescribed persons than to an employer (see para [22]).

Peter J Jackson v The Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police

[2026] EAT 112 · 27 July 2026Interprets

For a disclosure to a prescribed person, the worker must reasonably believe that the information disclosed and any allegation contained in it are substantially true. The EAT held that the assessment is qualitative and that belief in the gist alone is insufficient. (see paras [10]-[18], [151]-[158]) The court applied subsection (1) to the Claimant's reports to the IPCC, a prescribed person, and confirmed that the additional statutory requirements applied to those external disclosures. (see paras [10]-[11], [138]-[140]) The court applied the substantial-truth condition to the information and allegations in the reports. It rejected the proposed construction that would exclude parts of a disclosure failing the section 43B test from the substantial-truth assessment, while treating that discussion as unnecessary to the existing appeal grounds. (see paras [179]-[219])

Chanel Limited v Charlotte Skeens

[2025] EWHC 619 (KB) · 14 March 2025

The court identified the Equality and Human Rights Commission as a prescribed person under section 43F, providing an alternative channel for disclosure. This weakened the justification for immediate public disclosure through social media. (see para [24])

1 more judgment, and what each says about section 43F, are in the case-law panel in the full Act.

Amendments and notes

1 notes from legislation.gov.uk

Amendments

  1. F180Words in s. 43F(1)(a) omitted (25.6.2013) by virtue of Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 (c. 24), ss. 18(1)(c), 103(2) (with s. 24(6))