How we review reports
Receipt and registration of the report
All reports received shall be registered in a filing system to which only those involved in their receipt and examination shall have access. Reports are subsequently recorded in a special register, with an emphasis on protecting the identity of the whistleblower and maintaining confidentiality in accordance with the Whistleblowers' Protection Act. Access to the register of reports shall also be restricted to those involved in the receipt and review of the reports. Upon receipt of a report, the whistleblower shall be notified of its receipt within 7 days. If the report is received via an online form, the whistleblower is notified automatically.
Review of the report
If you have made a report to us about illegal activity in the workplace, the first thing you can expect is an acknowledgement of receipt. If you use the online form, you will receive report automatically, after delivery by post the deadline is 7 days. We handle all reports with particular attention to protecting the identity of the whistleblower and maintaining confidentiality.
Your report will be dealt with by a member of our Legal Department. He or she may contact you if there is information or evidence to be provided. We therefore need your cooperation, even if you have made your report anonymously. Our lawyer will then suggest legal steps that can be taken to achieve a remedy or resolution as soon as possible. Most often this involves:
- referring or assisting in referring a criminal complaint to a law enforcement authority, such as a prosecutor's office,
- forwarding the report or preparing a complaint for administrative proceedings to the competent administrative authority,
- initiation of an inspection for breach of the obligation to carry out internal checks on reports,
- initiation of administrative proceedings for the imposition of a fine for infringement of the obligations in the area of the internal system for the review of reports,
- the initiation of infringement proceedings, for example, if someone penalises the whistleblower in connection with making a report or breaches the obligation of confidentiality regarding the identity of the whistleblower or the person concerned.
We believe that anyone who reports corruption and other illegal activities that threaten the public interest should not be left alone in the fight for justice. Whichever scenario is followed, our lawyers will guide you through the process.
Protecting the identity and informing the whistleblower
In the event of a referral, as well as other legal actions, the lawyer will ensure that the identity of the whistleblower is protected in accordance with the Whistleblower Protection Act. The lawyer shall seek the consent of the whistleblower to forward the report and, if the whistleblower does not wish to forward the report with his or her identifying information, the lawyer shall forward the report in an anonymised form.
The Authority shall keep the whistleblower informed of the status of the proceedings and shall provide advice to the whistleblower as necessary. If the competent authority for the review of the report delivers the result of the investigation of the report to the Authority, the lawyer shall inform the whistleblower of the investigation without delay.
