How whistleblowing became an industry in the wake of #MeToo
Advising companies on setting up whistleblower services has become a burgeoning industry in the wake of the #MeToo movement and a high-profile scandal at Barclays, with businesses spending up to £100,000 to establish services for concerned staff.
Demand for whistleblowing consultancies, dedicated call centres, specialist software and independent investigators has escalated after accusations against the film producer Harvey Weinstein – who has pleaded not guilty to charges of rape and sexual assault in New York – and the revelation that the chief executive of Barclays had attempted to track down an internal whistleblower.
One law firm specialising in whistleblowing cases has described a “feeding frenzy” among companies keen to on the Barclays chief executive, Jes Staley, for trying to unmask a whistleblower has triggered a surge in business for companies that provide whistleblowing programmes.
