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 Australia Austria Belgium Brazil Bulgaria China Croatia Czechia Egypt France Germany Greece Hong Kong Hungary India Indonesia Ireland Italy Kazakhstan Luxembourg Mexico Netherlands Nigeria Portugal Romania Serbia Slovakia South Africa Spain Switzerland Turkey UAE- ADGM UAE- DIFC UAE- onshore 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, Company DLA Piper First Name Pilar Menor, Company DLA Piper First Name Sarah Hellewell, Company DLA Piper Contributors Amanda Lyras, Clayton Utz, AustraliaKarin Buzanich-Sommeregger, Freshfields, AustriaLara Neuhauser, Freshfields, AustriaNicolas Simon, Van Olmen & Wynant, BelgiumLara Coël, Van Olmen & Wynant, BelgiumPatricia Barboza, CGM, BrazilMaury Lobo, CGM, BrazilAndré Gilberto, CGM, BrazilVilislava Bardarova, Kinstellar, BulgariaNina Tsifudina, Kinstellar, BulgariaFan Li, Freshfields, ChinaZrinka Ivanković Šperanda, Kinstellar, CroatiaVedran Kopilović, Kinstellar, CroatiaIva Bilinská, Kinstellar, CzechiaAlia Monieb, ADSERO - Ragy Soliman & Partners, EgyptAbdalla Shohdy, ADSERO - Ragy Soliman & Partners, EgyptHoda Khira, ADSERO - Ragy Soliman & Partners, EgyptSeifeldin Hamad, ADSERO - Ragy Soliman & Partners, EgyptNicolas Léger, DLA Piper, FranceJérôme Halphen, DLA Piper, FranceIsabel Hexel, Oppenhoff, GermanyJohannes Peter Kaesbach, Oppenhoff, GermanyGrace Katsoulis, Ballas Pelecanos Law, GreeceNikolaos Papadopoulos, Ballas Pelecanos Law, GreeceStephanie Chiu, Freshfields, Hong KongEmily Rigler-Gillingham, Freshfields, Hong KongDániel Péter, Kinstellar, HungarySzabolcs Szilágyi, Kinstellar, HungaryAnshul Prakash, Khaitan & Co, IndiaKruthi N. Murthy, Khaitan & Co, IndiaLia Alizia, Alizia & Partners Law Office, IndonesiaEl Yefta Akwila, Alizia & Partners Law Office, 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, LuxembourgRafael Vallejo, Von Wobeser y Sierra, MexicoSarah Gibert, Von Wobeser y Sierra, MexicoBrechje Nollen, Freshfields, NetherlandsThom Veldhuizen, Freshfields, NetherlandsLotte Somers, Freshfields, NetherlandsAdekunle Obebe, Bloomfield LP, NigeriaRui Vaz Pereira, Cuatrecasas, PortugalAlexandra Sequeira, Cuatrecasas, PortugalLidia Zarnescu, Kinstellar, RomaniaAna Arambašić, Kinstellar, SerbiaMatúš Kočíšek, Kinstellar, SlovakiaCDH Employment Law Department, Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr Inc, South AfricaPedro Llorente, Cuatrecasas, SpainÁlvaro Fernández, Cuatrecasas, SpainDanae Travé Sarradell, Cuatrecasas, SpainVincent Carron, Schellenberg Wittmer, SwitzerlandMichael Hess, Schellenberg Wittmer, SwitzerlandCeren Ceyhan, Kinstellar, TurkeyHatice Arslan, Kinstellar, TurkeyChris Bailey-Gibbs , Hadef & Partners, UAE- ADGMChris Bailey-Gibbs , Hadef & Partners, UAE- DIFCChris Bailey-Gibbs , Hadef & Partners, UAE- onshoreSarah Hellewell, DLA Piper, United KingdomGeorge Nicholson, DLA Piper, United KingdomBrian Kaplan, DLA Piper, United StatesLolan Sagoe-Moses, DLA Piper, United StatesDilnora Mirabdullaeva, Kinstellar, UzbekistanKamilla Khamraeva, Kinstellar, Uzbekistan Contributors Karin Buzanich-Sommeregger, Freshfields, Austria Lara Neuhauser, Freshfields, Austria Vilislava Bardarova, Kinstellar, Bulgaria Nina Tsifudina, Kinstellar, Bulgaria Nicolas Simon, Van Olmen & Wynant, Belgium Lara Coël, 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 Abdalla Shohdy, ADSERO - Ragy Soliman & Partners, Egypt Hoda Khira, ADSERO - Ragy Soliman & Partners, Egypt Seifeldin Hamad, ADSERO - Ragy Soliman & Partners, Egypt Rui Vaz Pereira, Cuatrecasas, Portugal Alexandra Sequeira, Cuatrecasas, Portugal Nicolas Léger, DLA Piper, France Jérôme Halphen, DLA Piper, France Pedro Llorente, Cuatrecasas, Spain Álvaro Fernández, Cuatrecasas, Spain Danae Travé Sarradell, Cuatrecasas, Spain 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 Lolan Sagoe-Moses, DLA Piper, United States Lidia Zarnescu, Kinstellar, Romania Vincent Carron, Schellenberg Wittmer, Switzerland Michael Hess, Schellenberg Wittmer, Switzerland Ana Arambašić, Kinstellar, Serbia Dilnora Mirabdullaeva, Kinstellar, Uzbekistan Kamilla Khamraeva, Kinstellar, Uzbekistan Ceren Ceyhan, Kinstellar, Turkey Hatice Arslan, Kinstellar, Turkey Matúš Kočíšek, Kinstellar, Slovakia Adekunle Obebe, Bloomfield LP, Nigeria Philippe Schmit, Arendt & Medernach, Luxembourg Raphaëlle Carpentier, Arendt & Medernach, Luxembourg Fan Li, Freshfields, China Brechje Nollen, Freshfields, Netherlands Thom Veldhuizen, Freshfields, Netherlands Lotte Somers, Freshfields, Netherlands Stephanie Chiu, Freshfields, Hong Kong Emily Rigler-Gillingham, Freshfields, Hong Kong Chris Bailey-Gibbs , Hadef & Partners, UAE- onshore Chris Bailey-Gibbs , Hadef & Partners, UAE- DIFC Chris Bailey-Gibbs , Hadef & Partners, UAE- ADGM Amanda Lyras, Clayton Utz, Australia Grace Katsoulis, Ballas Pelecanos Law, Greece Nikolaos Papadopoulos, Ballas Pelecanos Law, Greece Lia Alizia, Alizia & Partners Law Office, Indonesia El Yefta Akwila, Alizia & Partners Law Office, Indonesia CDH Employment Law Department, Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr Inc, South Africa