Whistleblowing Canada launches CPD course on whistleblower protection

Whistleblowing Canada Research Society has launched a continuing professional development course on whistleblowing protections, reprisals and organisational accountability through LearnFormula. The course is aimed at lawyers, judges, legislators and compliance professionals as Canada faces ongoing gaps in reporting systems and retaliation safeguards.

Why it matters: - Whistleblowers can surface misconduct early and reduce legal, operational and reputational risk for organisations. - Fear of retaliation and weak reporting processes still discourage disclosures in Canada. - The course is aimed at professionals who help shape whether disclosures are protected or ignored.

What happened: - Whistleblowing Canada Research Society is offering a new CPD course titled “Speaking Up at Work: Whistleblower Protection, Reprisals and Organisational Accountability.” - LearnFormula is hosting the course. - The course is designed for lawyers, judges, legislators, and HR and compliance officers. - Pamela Forward, president of Whistleblowing Canada, said the training is meant to help close gaps in Canada’s whistleblower protections and prevent reprisals.

The details: - The course covers Canadian whistleblower protection frameworks. - The course examines reprisal risks and ways to strengthen reporting processes. - The course addresses organisational responsibilities for handling disclosures. - The course includes best practices for building ethical, accountable workplace cultures. - The curriculum also looks at public and private sector whistleblowing challenges. - The course draws lessons from major governance failures. - The course covers leadership’s role in creating safe cultures and responding to disclosures. - The course includes emerging legislative reforms. - Course registration is available here. - Whistleblowing Canada Research Society was founded in 2019. - The organization is a non-profit corporation and registered charity focused on education and research around speak-up cultures.

Between the lines: - The launch signals growing demand for practical training that connects whistleblower law with day-to-day workplace governance. - The emphasis on judges, legislators and compliance staff suggests the course is meant to influence both policy and implementation. - The focus on reprisals reflects a central barrier in whistleblowing: people will not report misconduct if they expect punishment.

What's next: - The course is now available for registration through LearnFormula. - Whistleblowing Canada is likely to use the training to broaden awareness of whistleblower protections and governance reforms. - The course could become part of ongoing debates over how Canada updates reporting and anti-reprisal systems.

The bottom line: - Whistleblowing Canada is betting that better training for legal and compliance leaders can improve how Canadian institutions handle reports of wrongdoing and protect people who speak up.