Image Guide to Whistleblowing Choose countries Choose the countries you want information on, or choose all for the full picture. Select specific jurisdictions to filter on Austria Belgium Brazil Bulgaria Croatia Czechia Egypt France Germany Hungary India Ireland Italy Kazakhstan Kosovo Mexico Portugal Romania Serbia Singapore Slovakia Spain Switzerland Thailand Turkey United Kingdom United States Uzbekistan Choose questions Choose the questions you would like answering, or choose all for the full picture. Legal basis for whistleblowing 01. Which body of rules regulates workplace whistleblowing procedures and the status of whistleblowers? Implementation of the whistleblowing procedure 02. Which companies must implement a whistleblowing procedure? 03. Is it possible to set up a whistleblowing procedure at a Group level, covering all subsidiaries whether in-country or overseas? 04. Is there a specific sanction if a Company fails to set up an internal whistleblowing procedure? 05. Must employee representative bodies be involved in the implementation of the system? 06. What information must be provided to the workforce about whistleblowing procedures? 07. Are there local language requirements? 08. Must an employer manage the reporting channel itself or can it be outsourced to an external provider whether in-country or overseas? 09. What are the obligations of an employer regarding the protection of data collected through the operation of the whistleblowing procedure? 10. What precautions should be taken when setting up a whistleblowing procedure? Scope of the whistleblowing procedure 11. What types of breaches/violations can be the subject of a whistleblowing report? 12. Are there special whistleblowing procedures applicable to specific economic sectors or professional areas? 13. When can an individual make an external whistleblowing report or a public disclosure? Identification of the whistleblower 14. What is the legal definition of a whistleblower? 15. Who can be a whistleblower? 16. Are there requirements to fulfil to qualify as a whistleblower? 17. Are anonymous whistleblowing reports admissible? 18. Must a whistleblower have been a direct witness to the breach/violation that they make a whistleblowing report on? Processing of the whistleblowing procedure 19. What are the terms and conditions of the whistleblowing procedure? 20. What confidentiality obligations apply? 21. Is there a hierarchy between different reporting channels? 22. Must an employer inform external authorities about whistleblowing reports received? If so, in what circumstances? 23. Can a whistleblower be sanctioned if the facts, once verified, are not confirmed or do not demonstrate a qualifying violation/breach? 24. What are the sanctions if there is obstruction of the whistleblower by the employer? Whistleblower Protection 25. What procedure must a whistleblower follow to receive protection? 26. What is the scope of the protection? 27. What enforcement mechanisms apply and what are the possible sanctions for breach of the requirements? 28. Are there sanctions for violating a duty to maintain the confidentiality of the identity of a whistleblower? If so, what sanctions apply? 29. Are there exemptions from liability for whistleblowers? 30. What support measures are provided to an individual who qualifies as a whistleblower? 31. What are the risks for a whistleblower who makes a false report or who fails to comply with the whistleblowing procedure? Download your results as a PDF Save to PDF Contributing editors First Name Brian Kaplan, Law firm DLA Piper First Name Pilar Menor, Law firm DLA Piper First Name Sarah Hellewell, Law firm DLA Piper Contributors First Name Michaela Gerlach, GERLACH Rechtsanwälte, Austria First Name Sonia Ben Brahim, GERLACH Rechtsanwälte, Austria First Name Vilislava Kolarova, Kinstellar, Bulgaria First Name Nina Tsifudina, Kinstellar, Bulgaria First Name Nicolas Simon, Van Olmen & Wynant, Belgium First Name Zrinka Ivanković Šperanda, Kinstellar, Croatia First Name Vedran Kopilović, Kinstellar, Croatia First Name Patricia Barboza, CGM, Brazil First Name Anshul Prakash, Khaitan & Co, India First Name Maury Lobo, CGM, Brazil First Name Kruthi N. Murthy, Khaitan & Co, India First Name André Gilberto, CGM, Brazil First Name Iva Bilinská, Kinstellar, Czechia First Name Anshul Prakash, Khaitan & Co, India First Name Kruthi N. Murthy, Khaitan & Co, India First Name Alia Monieb, ADSERO - Ragy Soliman & Partners, Egypt First Name Rawan Roshdy, ADSERO - Ragy Soliman & Partners, Egypt First Name Hoda Khira , ADSERO - Ragy Soliman & Partners, Egypt First Name Khaled Omar, ADSERO - Ragy Soliman & Partners, Egypt First Name Rui Vaz Pereira, Cuatrecasas, Portugal First Name Alexandra Sequeira, Cuatrecasas, Portugal First Name Nicolas Léger, DLA Piper, France First Name Marine Roussel, DLA Piper, France First Name Pedro Llorente, Cuatrecasas, Spain First Name Álvaro Fernández, Cuatrecasas, Spain First Name Danae Travé Sarradell, Cuatrecasas, Spain First Name Angelia Thng, Braddell Brothers LLP, Singapore First Name Samuel Lim, Braddell Brothers LLP, Singapore First Name Isabel Hexel, Oppenhoff, Germany First Name Johannes Peter Kaesbach, Oppenhoff, Germany First Name Dániel Péter, Kinstellar, Hungary First Name Szabolcs Szilágyi, Kinstellar, Hungary First Name Angelo Zambelli, Zambelli & Partners, Italy First Name Alberto Testi, Zambelli & Partners, Italy First Name Barbara Grasselli, Zambelli & Partners, Italy First Name Kuanysh Kanlybayev, Kinstellar, Kazakhstan First Name Anne O'Connell, AOC Solicitors, Ireland First Name Sarah Hellewell, DLA Piper, United Kingdom First Name George Nicholson, DLA Piper, United Kingdom First Name Rafael Vallejo, Von Wobeser y Sierra, Mexico First Name Sarah Gilbert, Von Wobeser y Sierra, Mexico First Name Brian Kaplan, DLA Piper, United States First Name Katrina Hausfeld, DLA Piper, United States First Name Kara Thomas-Beck, DLA Piper, United States First Name Lolan Sagoe-Moses, DLA Piper, United States First Name Remus Codreanu, Kinstellar, Romania First Name Lidia Zarnescu, Kinstellar, Romania First Name Vincent Carron, Schellenberg Wittmer, Switzerland First Name Michael Hess, Schellenberg Wittmer, Switzerland First Name Kristina Pavlović, Kinstellar, Serbia First Name Dilnora Mirabdullaeva, Kinstellar, Uzbekistan First Name Kamilla Khamraeva, Kinstellar, Uzbekistan First Name Nam-Ake Lekfuangfu, Baker McKenzie, Thailand First Name Theeranit Pongpanarat, Baker McKenzie, Thailand First Name Praween Chantanakomes, Baker McKenzie, Thailand First Name Panitan Pruksakasemsuk, Baker McKenzie, Thailand First Name Ceren Ceyhan, Kinstellar, Turkey First Name Hatice Arslan, Kinstellar, Turkey First Name Matúš Kočíšek, Kinstellar, Slovakia First Name Urim Vokshi, Vokshi & Lata, Kosovo Contributors First Name Michaela Gerlach, GERLACH Rechtsanwälte, Austria First Name Sonia Ben Brahim, GERLACH Rechtsanwälte, Austria First Name Vilislava Kolarova, Kinstellar, Bulgaria First Name Nina Tsifudina, Kinstellar, Bulgaria First Name Nicolas Simon, Van Olmen & Wynant, Belgium First Name Zrinka Ivanković Šperanda, Kinstellar, Croatia First Name Vedran Kopilović, Kinstellar, Croatia First Name Patricia Barboza, CGM, Brazil First Name Anshul Prakash, Khaitan & Co, India First Name Maury Lobo, CGM, Brazil First Name Kruthi N. Murthy, Khaitan & Co, India First Name André Gilberto, CGM, Brazil First Name Iva Bilinská, Kinstellar, Czechia First Name Anshul Prakash, Khaitan & Co, India First Name Kruthi N. Murthy, Khaitan & Co, India First Name Alia Monieb, ADSERO - Ragy Soliman & Partners, Egypt First Name Rawan Roshdy, ADSERO - Ragy Soliman & Partners, Egypt First Name Hoda Khira , ADSERO - Ragy Soliman & Partners, Egypt First Name Khaled Omar, ADSERO - Ragy Soliman & Partners, Egypt First Name Rui Vaz Pereira, Cuatrecasas, Portugal First Name Alexandra Sequeira, Cuatrecasas, Portugal First Name Nicolas Léger, DLA Piper, France First Name Marine Roussel, DLA Piper, France First Name Pedro Llorente, Cuatrecasas, Spain First Name Álvaro Fernández, Cuatrecasas, Spain First Name Danae Travé Sarradell, Cuatrecasas, Spain First Name Angelia Thng, Braddell Brothers LLP, Singapore First Name Samuel Lim, Braddell Brothers LLP, Singapore First Name Isabel Hexel, Oppenhoff, Germany First Name Johannes Peter Kaesbach, Oppenhoff, Germany First Name Dániel Péter, Kinstellar, Hungary First Name Szabolcs Szilágyi, Kinstellar, Hungary First Name Angelo Zambelli, Zambelli & Partners, Italy First Name Alberto Testi, Zambelli & Partners, Italy First Name Barbara Grasselli, Zambelli & Partners, Italy First Name Kuanysh Kanlybayev, Kinstellar, Kazakhstan First Name Anne O'Connell, AOC Solicitors, Ireland First Name Sarah Hellewell, DLA Piper, United Kingdom First Name George Nicholson, DLA Piper, United Kingdom First Name Rafael Vallejo, Von Wobeser y Sierra, Mexico First Name Sarah Gilbert, Von Wobeser y Sierra, Mexico First Name Brian Kaplan, DLA Piper, United States First Name Katrina Hausfeld, DLA Piper, United States First Name Kara Thomas-Beck, DLA Piper, United States First Name Lolan Sagoe-Moses, DLA Piper, United States First Name Remus Codreanu, Kinstellar, Romania First Name Lidia Zarnescu, Kinstellar, Romania First Name Vincent Carron, Schellenberg Wittmer, Switzerland First Name Michael Hess, Schellenberg Wittmer, Switzerland First Name Kristina Pavlović, Kinstellar, Serbia First Name Dilnora Mirabdullaeva, Kinstellar, Uzbekistan First Name Kamilla Khamraeva, Kinstellar, Uzbekistan First Name Nam-Ake Lekfuangfu, Baker McKenzie, Thailand First Name Theeranit Pongpanarat, Baker McKenzie, Thailand First Name Praween Chantanakomes, Baker McKenzie, Thailand First Name Panitan Pruksakasemsuk, Baker McKenzie, Thailand First Name Ceren Ceyhan, Kinstellar, Turkey First Name Hatice Arslan, Kinstellar, Turkey First Name Matúš Kočíšek, Kinstellar, Slovakia First Name Urim Vokshi, Vokshi & Lata, Kosovo