Happy holiday season from WhistleB
The year is coming to an end, and we can conclude that, once again, it has been quite a year for corporate whistleblowing. In particular, there has been a significant positive change in attitudes towards whistleblowers, some gaining hero-like status. Business leaders’ awareness of the value whistleblowing brings is growing, and the regulatory landscape is shifting, with more laws to protect whistleblowers being passed or proposed. Some of the most interesting of these are:
EU law proposal for stronger whistleblower protection
The European Parliament pushed for stronger protection for whistleblowers in a vote in November 2018. The main points are: Strong protection against retaliation; reporting anonymously to be allowed; and companies with more than 50 employees or with an annual turnover of over EUR 10 million will have to set up a procedure to handle whistleblowing reports. The new European law could be adopted as early as next summer.
Anonymous reporting now allowed in Spain
With the publication of the new Spanish Data Protection Bill (Ley Orgánica de Protección de Datos y Garantía de Derechos Digitales) in the Government Gazette, anonymous reporting is now allowed in Spain, for the first time.
WhistleB part of ISO 37002 development
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is developing an international guideline for whistleblowing management systems: ISO 37002. The standard is scheduled for completion by the end of 2021. The new ISO standard on whistleblowing management systems will provide practical guidance to organisations regarding a broad array of aspects of whistleblowing management.
Important results
WhistleB was founded in late 2011, with the intention of offering the best and most secure whistleblowing service solution on the market. As we stop and look back today, it’s truly inspiring to realise that we are surrounded by a network of highly qualified experts that are committed to the same goal as we are, to fight unethical behaviour and to work for a transparent work life.
With that, we wish you a very happy holiday season.
Karin Henriksson and Gunilla Hadders
Partners at WhistleB
You are welcome to contact us directly: karin.henriksson@whistleb.com or gunilla.hadders@whistleb.com
