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EU whistleblower protection directive and everything you need to know
Do you have 50 employees or more? In that case, the new Directive 2019/1937 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2019 on the protection of persons who report breaches of Union law applies to you. According to the directive, all private and public organizations with more than 50 employees must establish a secure notification channel guaranteeing the protection of whistleblowers.
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The directive imposes a number of requirements on employers
| What does the European Union demand? | How can FaceUp help you? |
|---|---|
| Establish a secure reporting channel for internal purposes, which should be separate from the company's usual communication tools. |  Your employees can use our web platform or mobile application to send reports. |
| Ensure that the sender of the report receives an acknowledgment of receipt. | The status of the report can be monitored by the sender after logging in directly on the FaceUp website. |
| Appoint impartial persons who will work with reports. | Your selected employees will have access to reports to suit your corporate structure. |
| Examine the report, provide a whistleblower with feedback on the solution, and take the necessary corrective action. | You can communicate with the sender and ask him/her for more information, that you need. |
| Ensure the confidentiality of communication between the solver and the whistleblower. | Only the administrators appointed by you will receive reports. We, no third party or other employees have access to them. |
| Provide information on taken whistleblowing measures to the competent authorities. | We are constantly developing our system so that it always meets all the requirements of the European Union and state administration bodies. |
| Process the provided data in accordance with the GDPR. | We process personal data in accordance with the GDPR regulation. |
| Maintain a system for archiving individual reports. | The FaceUp Web Administration serves as a database of reports received through FaceUp and other channels. |
| Protect whistleblowers from retaliation. | Whistleblowers can communicate anonymously through the FaceUp. |
Important dates
October 23, 2019
A directive of the European Parliament and of the EU Council on the protection of whistleblowers has been adopted, known as the "Whistleblowing Directive".
December 17 2021
All private companies in the EU with more than 250 employees, municipalities with more than 10,000 inhabitants and public entities with more than 50 employees must have a functioning reporting channel under this Directive.
December 17 2023
An internal reporting channel complying with the requirements of this Directive must be established by all legal entities with more than 50 employees.
Frequently asked Questions
Who is a whistleblower?
Whistleblower is a person who reports unfair practices. The EU Whistleblower Protection Directive applies to employees, self-employed persons, counselors, contractors, consultants, volunteers, job or cooperation applicants and others who may be informed of illegal activities in the EU in the work context.
What can whistleblowers report?
Problems mentioned in the directive include, for example, money laundering, poor data protection, transport safety, corruption, food and product safety, environmental protection, public health and more. In practice, employees may use such a reporting channel to report anything that bothers them in the organization or do not consider it appropriate.
Can whistleblowers apply to public authorities?
Whistleblowers are encouraged to try to resolve the situation with the employer first, but may also contact the state administration. It is advisable for the company to have an easy-to-use reporting system so that employees prefer internal solutions within the organization.
Is it not enough to use an email, physical mailbox, or telephone line as a reporting channel?
The Directive allows the use of several possible methods of reporting. However, they must ensure the confidentiality of the whistleblower's identity, store individual reports in a database in a permanent form, or allow follow up communication between the whistleblower and the administrator. It is also recommended that reporting channels be separated from the general communication channels that the organization uses. For maximum simplicity and security, it is, therefore, appropriate to use an online platform, which is made for these purposes.
What if an organization does not comply with the directive's regulations?
The EU directive requires sanctions against those who obstruct the reporting, oppose whistleblowers, or disclose their identities. Any threats or attempts to retaliate against whistleblowers are prohibited.
How to ensure whistleblower protection?
The FaceUp platform is anonymous for whistleblowers, so there is no risk of their identity being revealed. All data is encrypted and only people appointed by you have access to the company administration.