Effective whistleblower protection in companies and supply chains

Whistleblowers still often feel negative consequences if they dare to speak up or report corrupt behaviour. A 2021 study conducted by the Ethics and Compliance Institute showed that, on average, 61% of the whistleblowers surveyed felt negative consequences; in Germany, the figure was as high as 73% in 2021. This high incidence is not only a justice problem, but also an enormous deterrent for potential whistleblowers. The risk for whistleblowers to suffer disadvantages minimises the effectiveness of whistleblowing systems.   

Therefore, whistleblowers need special protection. Some of these protective measures were already anchored in the EU Whistleblower Protection Directive in 2019. The German Whistleblower Protection Act will incorporate these directives into national law; a draft bill is available. The new law will (presumably) not only strengthen the legal status of whistleblowers - e.g. by reversing the burden of proof - but also define specific processes and requirements for the protection of whistleblowers that have to be implemented by companies (presumably already from a size of 50 employees*). In particular, the obligation to set up an internal reporting office, which must fulfil a series of minimum requirements and certain reporting and documentation obligations, should be mentioned here.    

The protection of whistleblowers is also becoming increasingly important in external relations. Increasingly, companies' compliance responsibilities extend to the conduct of third parties, especially business partners, suppliers and intermediaries. Whistleblowers can be particularly valuable in such contexts because internal company audit and control mechanisms have only limited access to relevant information. Accordingly, the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act, which will come into force in 2023, also provides for a reporting system for violations of human rights and environmental due diligence obligations. The importance of this is also emphasised by the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (BAFA) in its guidelines on corporate due diligence. However, this approach is only promising if external whistleblowers are also effectively and reliably protected - and have confidence in this protection.  

Goal of the event    
Opportunities, risks and best practices for the effective protection of whistleblowers in a corporate context will be presented and discussed with experts. The expanded role of compliance officers in the context of the Supply Chain Act will also be examined. How can the various due diligence obligations be meaningfully linked within the company and along the supply chains? We want to discuss knowledge and experiences in this regard with the audience and derive recommendations from them so that companies can reliably protect whistleblowers and continuously develop effective channels. 

Who can participate?    
The event is open to all interested parties. In particular, it is aimed at compliance officers and employees of compliance departments whose companies will be affected by the German Whistleblower Protection Act. 

Framework   
The webinar will be held online in German with English translation to enable companies worldwide to participate. The event also offers participants the opportunity to ask questions to the speakers. The event also offers participants the opportunity to ask questions to the speakers.