What is: Public Interest Disclosures (PID) and Whistleblowing
As a public sector employee, you have a duty to disclose any wrongdoing you witness in the public sector. As a manager, you need to make sure your staff know of their obligation to disclose wrongdoing.
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What is a Public Interest Disclosure?
A Public Interest Disclosure (PID) is a disclosure of information about wrongdoing in the public sector. It’s sometimes referred to as ‘whistleblowing’. Queensland Public Sector employees are expected to disclose any wrongdoing they witness under the Code of Conduct for the Public Service (Code of Conduct). Most commonly, PIDs are about suspected corrupt conduct. The Public Interest Disclosure Act 2010 (Qld) (the PID Act) and the Queensland Ombudsman’s Public Interest Disclosure Standards specify the requirements for making a public interest disclosure.
For more information about corrupt conduct, refer to Requirements for Reporting Corrupt Conduct procedure and to the Micro Skill Guide on Corrupt Conduct.
What’s my role?
As a manager, you have to make sure that all employees, volunteers, consultants and contractors under your supervision know of their obligation to report suspected corrupt conduct and to make public interest disclosures.
All staff are required to complete online learning via the Talent Management System on:
- Code of Conduct
- Fraud Awareness
- Public Interest Disclosures
New employees must do this training within 30 days of commencing and then every two years after that.
What information should be disclosed?
According to the PID Act, any person can disclose the following (s12):
- a substantial and specific danger to the health and safety of a person with a disability (e.g. a serious assault of a person with a disability)
- a substantial and specific danger to the environment
- the conduct of another person that could, if proved, be a reprisal.
A public officer (which includes a Metro North Health employee) can disclose (s13):
- corrupt conduct
- maladministration that adversely affects a person’s interests in a substantial and specific way
- a substantial and specific danger to public health and safety
- a substantial misuse of public resources—other than an alleged misuse based on mere disagreement over the application of policies regarding amounts, purposes or priorities of expenditure
- substantial and specific danger to the environment.
When should a PID be made?
A PID should be made if a person has an honest belief, on reasonable grounds, that there is wrongdoing or danger (subjective test). Alternatively, a disclosure should be made if information tends to indicate the wrongdoing or danger, regardless of the belief of the person disclosing the information (objective test).
Who should a PID be made to?
Information must be disclosed to a ‘proper authority’, which may be internal or external to Metro North Health. A proper authority within Metro North Health includes:
- any person in a management role
- Metro North Health’s Chief Executive
- the Ethical Standards Unit
- People and Culture.
How is a PID made?
A PID can be made verbally but is preferably made in writing. It can be made anonymously although this makes it difficult for the authority to follow up for more information or clarification.
The PID should include:
- the name and position of the person who is the subject of the disclosure
- information about the wrongdoing, including relevant events, dates and places
- your contact details and the names of others who may be able to give further information.
For more detailed information refer to the Public Interest Disclosure Procedure.
