This Act comes into force on 1 July 2022.
It replaces the Protected Disclosures Act 2020.
The key changes brought in by the new Act include:
- “Serious wrongdoing” is extended to include misuse of public funds or resources
- People can now report serious wrongdoing directly to an appropriate authority, at any time
- Protection for disclosers is strengthened by outlining what those receiving disclosures should do
- It clarifies the internal procedure requirements for public sector organisations
- It has a list of the ways in which retaliation against a discloser may occur.
Section 7 of the Act has a useful flowchart giving an overview of how the Act applies to a discloser.
If you would like more information about the Act and particularly how it applies to employees and employers, please contact us at: lawyer@btlaw.co.nz