Whistleblowers perform a public service and the consequences of penalising them for their activities can be severe. In one case, two police officers who were removed from undercover duties after they made repeated and serious complaints about the management of their unit were awarded a six-figure sum in compensation.
Both officers, one of whom had almost 20 years’ experience, were moved to civilian desk jobs shortly after lodging their complaints. Their employer argued that one of them had been transferred due to his social links to a corrupt officer. The other was said to have been moved after he decorated himself with a small tattoo that made him unsuitable for undercover work.
However, an Employment Tribunal (ET) found that their complaints had materially influenced the decision to transfer them. They had been subjected to detrimental treatment for whistleblowing. They were between them awarded £41,800 for the injury caused to their feelings. Together with interest, and compensation for almost 2,500 hours of lost overtime, their total awards exceeded £100,000.