Dr Scott Wilson was giving evidence to the Select Committee on whistleblowing policy implementation on Thursday.
He raised concerns about the policy issued in October 2025, highlighting a new requirement for disclosures to be made through a departmental whistleblowing officer who must notify the Office of Human Resources.
Dr Wilson said: “This represents a significant change from the policy, where employers could report directly to several recipients, including their line manager, chief executive, the audit advisory division, the Public Services Commission, or a proscribed person under the Employment Act.”
He also raised data protection concerns regarding a new central register of disclosures, stating: “The policy does not clearly explain what information will be shared with the Office of Human Resources, how it will be securely transmitted and stored, and who will have access to that information.”
Comparing the island’s framework with Scotland’s system, Dr Wilson said the key difference was “the presence or absence of independent oversight”.
He added: “The Isle of Man policy relies primarily on internal organisational governance processes where the same organisation retains responsibility for classifying the disclosure, conducting the investigation and determining the outcome.”
Dr Wilson also raised concerns about training, claiming e-learning courses “are not taken seriously” and are treated as a “tick box” exercise.
Source: Manx News, 13 March 2026
