Whistleblowing
Contributing Editors
In this new age of accountability, organisations around the globe are having to navigate a patchwork of new laws designed to protect those who expose corporate misconduct. IEL’s Guide to Whistleblowing examines what constitutes a protective disclosure, the scope of regulations across 24 countries, and the steps businesses must take to ensure compliance with them.
Learn more about the response taken in specific countries or build your own report to compare approaches taken around the world.
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12. What is the legal definition of a whistleblower?
12. What is the legal definition of a whistleblower?
Croatia
Croatia
- at Babic & Partners
- at Babic & Partners
Under the WBP Act, a whistleblower is defined as a natural person who reports or publicly discloses irregularities that he or she has learned of within his or her work environment, whereas the term work environment is defined as professional activities in the public or private sector, irrespective of the nature of such activities, within which the whistleblower acquires information on irregularities and within which the whistleblower could suffer retaliation if they reported such irregularities, including when such activity has ceased in the meantime, should start or should have started.
Germany
Germany
- at Oppenhoff
- at Oppenhoff
A whistleblower is a natural person who, in the context of his or her professional activity or in the preliminary stages of professional activity, has obtained information about violations and reports or discloses it to the – internal or external – reporting offices provided for under the Whistleblower Protection Act (section 1 (1) HinSchG).
The Whistleblower Protection Act also applies to the protection of persons who are subject to a report or disclosure, as well as other persons who are affected by a report or disclosure, (section 1 (2) HinSchG).