Protected Disclosure Letter: Free Template and What to Include

If you need to formally make a protected disclosure to your employer or a prescribed regulator, a written letter is the recommended first step — it creates a clear record and shows you're pursuing the matter formally. Below is what a strong protected disclosure letter should include.

What this letter needs to cover

• State clearly this is a formal protected disclosure
• Describe the wrongdoing being disclosed with facts and dates
• Explain why the worker reasonably believes this is in the public interest
• Identify the recipient as the appropriate person to receive the disclosure
• Request the matter is investigated and a formal response given

What makes a disclosure genuinely "protected"

For legal protection to apply, you need a reasonable belief that your disclosure is in the public interest and that it tends to show one of the specific categories of wrongdoing — a criminal offence, breach of a legal obligation, a miscarriage of justice, danger to health and safety, environmental damage, sexual harassment, or a cover-up of any of these.

What to include before you send it

• A clear, factual description of the wrongdoing you believe has occurred
• Why you reasonably believe it falls within one of the protected categories
• Any evidence supporting your disclosure
• Confirmation of who you're disclosing to, and why they're an appropriate recipient

Why disclosing to your employer first is often, but not always, the right approach

Disclosures to your employer are protected, and this is often the natural first step — but a disclosure made directly to a prescribed external regulator can also be protected without going to your employer first, as long as you reasonably believe the issue falls within that regulator's remit and that the information is substantially true.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need proof the wrongdoing definitely happened before disclosing?
No — a reasonable belief is sufficient; you don't need conclusive proof, since establishing the full facts is often part of what a proper investigation is for.

What protection do I have after making this disclosure?
You're protected from detriment or dismissal connected to making a genuine protected disclosure, with no cap on compensation if a dismissal claim succeeds.

[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Your Postcode]
[Your Phone Number]
[Your Email Address]
[Name of Recipient]
[Job Title]
[Company Name]
[Company Address]
[Company Postcode]
[Date]

Dear [Name],

Subject: Protected disclosure

This letter is a formal protected disclosure under the company's whistleblowing policy and section 43B of the Employment Rights Act 1996. I am sending it to you because [e.g. you are the named contact in the whistleblowing policy / you are my line manager].

What is happening:
• [e.g. unlabelled chemical waste is being put in the general waste bins.]
• [When and where, e.g. every Friday evening in the main loading bay.]
• [Who is involved, e.g. it is being done on the shift manager's instructions.]

I reasonably believe this shows [choose: a criminal offence / a failure to meet a legal obligation / a miscarriage of justice / a danger to someone's health and safety / damage to the environment / sexual harassment / deliberate covering up of any of these].

I believe this is in the public interest because [e.g. it could harm local residents and the environment].

Please confirm you have received this, investigate it and give me a formal written response.

Yours sincerely,

[Your Signature]
[Your Printed Name]