Is the deadline for whistleblower systems changing?

The EU-Commission considers that Sweden has implemented the EU directive incorrectly. Now companies with over 250 employees may be forced to implement reporting channels earlier than July 17, 2022

On Wednesday (February 9), the EU Commission sent a formal notification to Sweden to apply the EU directive on whistleblowing without delay and protect whistleblowers accordingly. The Commission considers that the transposition measures adopted by Sweden are delaying the application of certain safeguards untilJuly 17th 2022, when they should actually be effective from December 17th 2021.

Sweden now has two months to take the necessary measures to remedy the breach of EU legislation identified by the Commission. If this is not done, the Commission can decide to send them a reasoned opinion, and if nothing is done then the case can end up in the European Court of Justice.

Can companies with more than 250 employees need to implement reporting channels sooner?

The deadline may be brought forward even if the risks are relatively small. Sweden may change the requirements placed on companies, but to get such a change through before July 17th requires swift action by Sweden.

As a company with over 250 employees, you probably do not need to worry, but just as before, it is good to start the work of implementing a whistleblower system and whistleblower policy as soon as possible. The risk is that the work will not be well done or that advisers will be difficult to get hold of in case of any questions.

Also read: 3 essential steps to create a speak-up culture

How to implement a whistleblower function?

To implement a whistleblower function, it may be a good idea to review your needs first. What type of solution do you want to provide? How should your policy be formulated?

Here is a short checklist of what to look for in a whistleblower system:

• Enables anonymous reporting & follow-up with the whistleblower
• Has high user-friendliness for whistleblowers & case managers
• Has high security, is end-to-end encrypted & penetration tested
• Has a low annual cost without service fees
• Make sure you do not pay too much for unnecessary functionality

Visslan today helps several companies with implementing a whistleblower system, whistleblower policy and reception function. We believe that it does not have to be very complicated to implement a solution and our goal is to make it as easy as possible for you as a company.

We have had all the questions asked to us, and we are happy to answer yours as well. You are always welcome to contact us!

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