Image Guide to Whistleblowing The information provided is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. The transmission and receipt of information contained on this platform does not form or constitute an attorney-client relationship. It is important to seek legal advice from a qualified attorney regarding any specific legal issue or problem. Choose countries and select questions Select specific jurisdictions to filter on Select specific jurisdictions to filter on Austria Belgium Brazil Bulgaria China Croatia Czechia Egypt France Germany Hong Kong Hungary India Indonesia Ireland Italy Kazakhstan Luxembourg Mexico Netherlands Nigeria Portugal Romania Serbia Singapore Slovakia Spain Switzerland Thailand Turkey United Kingdom United States Uzbekistan 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? Search Clear filters 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 Karin Buzanich-Sommeregger, Freshfields, AustriaBenedikt Sprinzl, Freshfields, AustriaLara Neuhauser, Freshfields, AustriaNicolas Simon, Van Olmen & Wynant, BelgiumPatricia Barboza, CGM, BrazilMaury Lobo, CGM, BrazilAndré Gilberto, CGM, BrazilVilislava Kolarova, Kinstellar, BulgariaNina Tsifudina, Kinstellar, BulgariaFan Li, Freshfields, ChinaVivian Wang, Freshfields, ChinaZrinka Ivanković Šperanda, Kinstellar, CroatiaVedran Kopilović, Kinstellar, CroatiaIva Bilinská, Kinstellar, CzechiaAlia Monieb, ADSERO - Ragy Soliman & Partners, EgyptNada Khaled, ADSERO - Ragy Soliman & Partners, EgyptHoda Khira, ADSERO - Ragy Soliman & Partners, EgyptKhaled Omar, ADSERO - Ragy Soliman & Partners, EgyptNicolas Léger, DLA Piper, FranceIsabel Hexel, Oppenhoff, GermanyJohannes Peter Kaesbach, Oppenhoff, GermanyStephanie Chiu, Freshfields, Hong KongShirley Lam, Freshfields, Hong KongDániel Péter, Kinstellar, HungarySzabolcs Szilágyi, Kinstellar, HungaryAnshul Prakash, Khaitan & Co, IndiaKruthi N. Murthy, Khaitan & Co, IndiaNorma Mutalib, Makarim & Taira S., IndonesiaNaufal Fariz Darmawan, Makarim & Taira S., IndonesiaFitria Marsha Qitara Rajasa, Makarim & Taira S., IndonesiaAnne O'Connell, AOC Solicitors, IrelandAngelo Zambelli, Zambelli & Partners, ItalyAlberto Testi, Zambelli & Partners, ItalyBarbara Grasselli, Zambelli & Partners, ItalyKuanysh Kanlybayev, Kinstellar, KazakhstanPhilippe Schmit, Arendt & Medernach, LuxembourgRaphaëlle Carpentier, Arendt & Medernach, LuxembourgElise Louzy, Arendt & Medernach, LuxembourgRafael Vallejo, Von Wobeser y Sierra, MexicoSarah Gibert, Von Wobeser y Sierra, MexicoBrechje Nollen, Freshfields, NetherlandsPam Hufman, Freshfields, NetherlandsLotte Somers, Freshfields, NetherlandsAdekunle Obebe, Bloomfield LP, NigeriaRui Vaz Pereira, Cuatrecasas, PortugalAlexandra Sequeira, Cuatrecasas, PortugalLidia Zarnescu, Kinstellar, RomaniaKristina Pavlović, Kinstellar, SerbiaAngelia Thng, Braddell Brothers LLP, SingaporeSamuel Lim, Braddell Brothers LLP, SingaporeMatúš Kočíšek, Kinstellar, SlovakiaPedro Llorente, Cuatrecasas, SpainÁlvaro Fernández, Cuatrecasas, SpainDanae Travé Sarradell, Cuatrecasas, SpainVincent Carron, Schellenberg Wittmer, SwitzerlandMichael Hess, Schellenberg Wittmer, SwitzerlandNam-Ake Lekfuangfu, Baker McKenzie, ThailandTheeranit Pongpanarat, Baker McKenzie, ThailandPraween Chantanakomes, Baker McKenzie, ThailandPanitan Pruksakasemsuk, Baker McKenzie, ThailandWorphan Khunakornkorbkij, Baker McKenzie, ThailandCeren Ceyhan, Kinstellar, TurkeyHatice Arslan, Kinstellar, TurkeySarah Hellewell, DLA Piper, United KingdomGeorge Nicholson, DLA Piper, United KingdomBrian Kaplan, DLA Piper, United StatesKatrina Hausfeld, DLA Piper, United StatesKara Thomas-Beck, DLA Piper, United StatesLolan Sagoe-Moses, DLA Piper, United StatesDilnora Mirabdullaeva, Kinstellar, UzbekistanKamilla Khamraeva, Kinstellar, Uzbekistan Contributors Karin Buzanich-Sommeregger, Freshfields, Austria Benedikt Sprinzl, Freshfields, Austria Lara Neuhauser, Freshfields, Austria Vilislava Kolarova, Kinstellar, Bulgaria Nina Tsifudina, Kinstellar, Bulgaria Nicolas Simon, Van Olmen & Wynant, Belgium Zrinka Ivanković Šperanda, Kinstellar, Croatia Vedran Kopilović, Kinstellar, Croatia Patricia Barboza, CGM, Brazil Maury Lobo, CGM, Brazil André Gilberto, CGM, Brazil Iva Bilinská, Kinstellar, Czechia Anshul Prakash, Khaitan & Co, India Kruthi N. Murthy, Khaitan & Co, India Alia Monieb, ADSERO - Ragy Soliman & Partners, Egypt Nada Khaled, ADSERO - Ragy Soliman & Partners, Egypt Hoda Khira, ADSERO - Ragy Soliman & Partners, Egypt Khaled Omar, ADSERO - Ragy Soliman & Partners, Egypt Rui Vaz Pereira, Cuatrecasas, Portugal Alexandra Sequeira, Cuatrecasas, Portugal Nicolas Léger, DLA Piper, France Pedro Llorente, Cuatrecasas, Spain Álvaro Fernández, Cuatrecasas, Spain Danae Travé Sarradell, Cuatrecasas, Spain Angelia Thng, Braddell Brothers LLP, Singapore Samuel Lim, Braddell Brothers LLP, Singapore Isabel Hexel, Oppenhoff, Germany Johannes Peter Kaesbach, Oppenhoff, Germany Dániel Péter, Kinstellar, Hungary Szabolcs Szilágyi, Kinstellar, Hungary Angelo Zambelli, Zambelli & Partners, Italy Alberto Testi, Zambelli & Partners, Italy Barbara Grasselli, Zambelli & Partners, Italy Kuanysh Kanlybayev, Kinstellar, Kazakhstan Anne O'Connell, AOC Solicitors, Ireland Sarah Hellewell, DLA Piper, United Kingdom George Nicholson, DLA Piper, United Kingdom Rafael Vallejo, Von Wobeser y Sierra, Mexico Sarah Gibert, Von Wobeser y Sierra, Mexico Brian Kaplan, DLA Piper, United States Katrina Hausfeld, DLA Piper, United States Kara Thomas-Beck, DLA Piper, United States Lolan Sagoe-Moses, DLA Piper, United States Lidia Zarnescu, Kinstellar, Romania Vincent Carron, Schellenberg Wittmer, Switzerland Michael Hess, Schellenberg Wittmer, Switzerland Kristina Pavlović, Kinstellar, Serbia Dilnora Mirabdullaeva, Kinstellar, Uzbekistan Kamilla Khamraeva, Kinstellar, Uzbekistan Nam-Ake Lekfuangfu, Baker McKenzie, Thailand Theeranit Pongpanarat, Baker McKenzie, Thailand Praween Chantanakomes, Baker McKenzie, Thailand Panitan Pruksakasemsuk, Baker McKenzie, Thailand Worphan Khunakornkorbkij, Baker McKenzie, Thailand Ceren Ceyhan, Kinstellar, Turkey Hatice Arslan, Kinstellar, Turkey Matúš Kočíšek, Kinstellar, Slovakia Adekunle Obebe, Bloomfield LP, Nigeria Norma Mutalib, Makarim & Taira S., Indonesia Naufal Fariz Darmawan, Makarim & Taira S., Indonesia Fitria Marsha Qitara Rajasa, Makarim & Taira S., Indonesia Philippe Schmit, Arendt & Medernach, Luxembourg Raphaëlle Carpentier, Arendt & Medernach, Luxembourg Elise Louzy, Arendt & Medernach, Luxembourg Fan Li, Freshfields, China Vivian Wang, Freshfields, China Brechje Nollen, Freshfields, Netherlands Pam Hufman, Freshfields, Netherlands Lotte Somers, Freshfields, Netherlands Stephanie Chiu, Freshfields, Hong Kong Shirley Lam, Freshfields, Hong Kong