#UK Managers now face personal liability for whistleblowing claims

//

Last month the Court of Appeal confirmed that two directors were liable for over £2 million in compensation after the dismissal of a whistleblower in their organisation, writes David Mills, partner at Mills & Reeve LLP. 

The former CEO had established that the directors concerned were behind the decision to end his employment because of protected disclosures he had made and were personally liable for his losses.

This claim would not have been possible before changes to the legislation in 2013 opened up the possibility of individuals being personally liable under whistleblowing legislation, in much the same as they have long liable been under our discrimination law. 

The employer remains jointly liable, but in this case there was an added incentive to pursue the individual directors because the company had become insolvent.

In most circumstances, the employer will remain the main target for claims, but there are some situations where its officers and employees could also be in the firing line. In this case the two directors were covered by insurance, though this did not have any influence on the Court of Appeal’s final decision.

Businesses will now wish to review their insurance arrangements to ensure that appropriate cover is in place to cover liabilities of this nature. 

It is likely to be a requirement of such cover that members of its senior management receive adequate training about their exposure to these claims, and the steps that should be taken to ensure that both they and their organisation are fully compliant with whistleblowing legislation.

• For more information, email David.mills [at] mills-reeve.com

from Business Weekly https://ift.tt/2Tm6bzg

This entry was posted in #UK by Startup365. Bookmark the permalink.

About Startup365

Chaque jour nous vous présenterons une nouvelle Startup française ! Notre pays regorge de talents et d'entrepreneurs brillants ! Alors partons à la découverte des meilleures startup françaises ! Certaines d'entre elles sont dans une étape essentielle dans la vie d'une startup : la recherche de financement, notamment par le financement participatif (ou crowdfunding en anglais). Alors participez à cette grande aventure en leur faisant une petite donation ! Les startups françaises ont besoin de vous !