Whistleblowing researcher: 'Criminal sanctions needed for whistleblowers'
Director of the whistleblowing research unit at Middlesex University, Professor David Lewis, said whistleblowing procedures must be mandatory in the public and private sectors.
"People are blowing the whistle in the public interest, they need to be protected and society needs to say 'this is not acceptable'", he said.
His comments came after the Francis Report, which looked into the way whistleblowers are treated by the NHS revealed shocking accounts of bullying against those who raise concerns.
But he said "there has to be protection at the point of hiring in all sectors", not just the NHS.
Professor Lewis believes the UK's whistleblowing legislation is lagging behind the rest of the world, adding "procedures are in the interest of employers, workers and the general public".
This clip is originally from 5 live Daily on Thursday 19 February 2015.
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