Freshfields whistleblowing survey: impact of the #MeToo movement

As part of our ongoing review of whistleblowing culture over the years, we’ve gathered the views of over 2,500 individuals in the UK, US, Hong Kong, Germany and France to assess their attitudes towards whistleblowing, and to consider how these have changed since our last survey in 2017.

Our report shows that there has been a general decrease in those who have been involved in whistleblowing, as well as a decline in confidence with regards to support from senior management for those who do blow the whistle.

In this podcast chaired by Stephanie Chiu and Nicola Jones, guest speakers Caroline Stroud, Holly Insley and Boris Feldman explore one of the aspects of this survey – how the #MeToo movement may have changed our attitudes towards whistleblowing. The speakers share their thoughts on the effect of the #MeToo movement on speak-up culture and how #MeToo related reports may require specific handling and a tailored investigation process. They also discuss whether the whistleblowing trends of the survey are indicative of what we should expect in the future and discuss what might be on the horizon, including potential legislative developments in the US.