Whistleblowing encouraged as Smyth chairs charity

Clifford Chance partner Michael Smyth is the first solicitor to chair Public Concern At Work (PCAW), the charity which encourages whistleblowing in the workplace.PCAW runs a free and confidential helpline for people concerned about serious wrongdoing at work, provides professional support to organisations and informs public policy on regulatory cultures and law reforms.Mr Smyth is a litigation partner and public law expert, and takes over from Michael Brindle QC, the latest barrister to have held the post since PCAW was established in 1993.Mr Smyth said inculcating a whistleblowing culture in the workplace is vital.

'Employers running organisations of any size should know exactly what is going on in the workplace,' he said.

'We want to encourage transparent lines of communication throughout companies, and foster an atmosphere where all employees feel able to make disclosures of any sort.'To achieve this, Mr Smyth says government co-operation is needed.

'As organisations and individuals begin to realise the benefits of a whistleblowing culture, we need a commitment from government that it will ensure this message is heard not just by blue chips and large institutions but by small and medium-sized companies across the spectrum.'PCAW was set up in response to scandals and disasters in the 1980s and 1990s where almost every official inquiry revealed that workers were aware of the danger but were too scared to blow the whistle.Victoria MacCallum