Parliament seeks stronger whistleblower protections for civil servants

A parliamentary committee has called on Government to review and strengthen protections for civil servants who report misconduct, corruption or workplace abuse.

The Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence, in its review of the Ministry of Civil Service's 2022–2023 Annual Report tabled in Parliament last week, found that while the ministry has its own internal whistleblower policy, it remains unclear whether similar protections exist across all government ministries.

The committee said this raises concerns about whether civil servants have consistent safeguards when reporting wrongdoing.

A whistleblower policy protects employees who report misconduct, corruption or workplace abuse from retaliation, including dismissal, demotion or other adverse treatment.

The committee found that civil servants with workplace grievances currently rely on mechanisms available through the Public Service Commission (PSC).

It also noted that while government-wide anti-bullying and anti-discrimination guidelines are in place, the reporting and publication of harassment and bullying cases require significant improvement.

The committee recommended that the Ministry of Civil Service, together with the PSC, review and strengthen whistleblower protections and grievance-handling mechanisms across all government ministries.

Meanwhile, the recently established Fiji Learning Institute for Public Service (FLIPS) is developing training modules on grievance handling, policy development and anti-bullying practices, including programmes for civil servants serving in rural and maritime areas.

The committee's report was chaired by Deputy Speaker Lenora Qereqeretabua and tabled as Parliamentary Paper No. 32 of 2026.

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