Marvin OnumonuEmployers are seeking more guidance on whistleblowing and workplace harassment, with engagement up by 50% in the past month, according to data from Skillcast.
Data showed a sharp rise in views of employment rights content, especially around whistleblowing and harassment, as the Employment Rights Act 2025 expands protections.
Interest in whistleblowing guidance went up by 31% month-on-month, while content about harassment and the new act saw a 47% rise.
This comes as calls to harassment helplines increased by nearly 40% in the past year.
University College London research found almost one in seven workers in the UK had experienced abuse at work.
Freedom of Information data showed whistleblowing in parts of the public sector rose by 250% year-on-year.
Vivek Dodd, CEO at Skillcast, said: “What we’re seeing here is a clear shift in what compliance actually means in practice.
“Documentation alone will no longer cut it. Businesses need to be demonstrating operational credibility: they need to be able to show that concerns and complaints are properly handled, investigated thoroughly and acted upon in a proper and timely manner.
“As reporting activity increases and legal protections widen, the risk for employers is moving away from policy gaps and towards process failure.”
Dodd added: “Training is critical here, because it’s the people on the ground who ultimately determine whether your policies are being followed day-to-day.
“Employers need to ensure policies are clearly communicated, supported by reporting processes that staff can trust, and backed by consistent action when concerns are raised.”
Nickie Elenor, employment law solicitor, said: “The Employment Rights Act gives employees a new legally recognised route to speak up from their very first day on the job, with no qualifying period of employment required to do so.
“This matters most in sectors where harassment is endemic, and job security keeps people silent.
“It’s highly likely that we’ll see more whistleblowing and harassment cases in the near future, because when people know they have protected status when they choose to speak up about workplace misconduct, there’s far more empowerment around doing so.”
Elenor added: “For employers, this significantly increases the importance of getting processes right from the very moment any new hires walks through the door.
“From now on, tribunals won’t just look at whether a policy exists in principle, but whether it’s actually followed in practice.
“A well-drafted policy that nobody has read achieves absolutely nothing.”
She said: “Poorly handled complaints can quickly lead to serious legal risks, including claims of harassment, detriment, breach of contract, discrimination and unfair dismissal claims.
“Mismanagement could be costly for employers, with compensation in harassment cases being uncapped and risks of significant awards of compensation for injury to feeling.
“The financial and reputational threats are just too fierce for companies to ignore.”
