A new study suggests it is extremely difficult to blow the whistle without some blow-back.

New research from UK charity Public Concern at Work (PCAW) says HR is failing to prepare or support whistleblowers, which puts companies at risk of more dire problems in future.

Their study found that 80 per cent of whistleblowers had suffered reprisal after blowing the whistle.

The survey used data from 2000 working adults, and found that just 33 per cent of whistleblowers had experienced a positive reaction.

PCAW spokesperson Andy Parsons blamed HR.

“This includes knowing which best practice policies to follow. Whistleblowers are protected by law, so if HR is dismissing people, they shouldn’t be doing that without proper reason,” Parsons told People Management magazine.

“What HR professionals should be doing is making sure there is a culture of protecting all who raise concerns, including reassuring those that are minded to raise concerns, that their issues will be supported and acted upon by those at the very top of the organisation,” Parsons said.

The report suggested better whistleblowing frameworks would be the key to improving people’s options when they spot dodginess.

“Good employers should see whistleblowing as an early warning system about areas of concern in their business,” Parsons said.

“The more whistleblowing becomes normalised – and is simply a process for referring improvements – the less people see it as dramatically 'unmasking' improper processes.”

“We know that when firms do implement fair whistleblowing processes, it acts as a deterrent to other bad practices happening, because colleagues won’t want to be investigated,” he said.

PCAW CEO Cathy James said the perception of whistleblowers in society is becoming more positive, but even so the study showed people are becoming more unwilling to speak up.

“This must, in part, be due to the lack of awareness around legal protection and the fact in reality whistleblowing is still a risky activity for a large number of our clients,” she said.