Companies House disciplined over 100 staff for compliance breaches

Over a hundred members of staff at under-fire Companies House faced disciplinary action for compliance breaches in the last three years.

Fresh figures from a Freedom of Information request reveal the UK’s registry body for companies took action against 131 staff since December 2022.

The disciplinary measures were a result of breaches relating to the internal policies of Companies House, including attendance, management, grievance, performance, disciplinary matters and probation.

The highest periods came between December 2023 and November 2024, and December 2024 to November 2025, each of which recorded an average of just over four actions per month. 

The figures offer a stark insight into performance issues ahead of a major tech blunder this March that left users able to view and change other companies’ details without consent.

Companies House tech debacle

An investigation conducted by Companies House earlier this month revealed the security issue was introduced in an update that took place in October 2025. 

The body has said that no passwords were exposed and personal identification documents such as passports were not accessed.

The debacle left some five million businesses on the register scrambling to check their details following warnings from experts.

Graeme Stewart, head of public sector at Check Point Software, said: “Millions of company directors put their trust in Companies House to uphold the highest standards of professional conduct and ensure their personal data remains protected.

“With cyber criminals seeking to damage the UK economy, the idea that such critical information was apparently easy to access as a wake-up call to the wider public sector to get its house in order.”

The FOI data also revealed 12,684 training courses on compliance and ethics were completed by employees and contractors over the three year period as part of mandatory annual learning.

These included modules on security and data protection, government security classification policy and civil service expectations.

Kenny MacAulay, chief executive of Acting Office, said: “Governance isn’t optional, and when breaches of policy occur, from serious misconduct to performance, it’s vital to get a swift grasp of the problems. 

“Without clear oversight and action, risk escalates fast.”

A Companies House spokesperson said: “As a modern Civil Service employer with approximately 2,400 staff we have robust procedures in place to address misconduct or poor performance.”