Do you need help with the topic of whistleblowing? Are you looking for a whistleblowing system that gives your employees the opportunity to report potential and actual violations and misconduct? Is your goal to uncover and stop unethical behavior within your organization?

BDO's independent experts support your organization from the first steps to the processing of whistleblower reports.

The advantages of BDO’s whistleblower system in a nutshell:

• The entire process from a single source
• Compliant with the EU-Whistleblowing-Directive and the GDPR
• Easy process steps with predictable procedures
• Documentation of the received whistleblowing reports and their processing
• Anonymity and encrypted communication

 

Is your organization affected by the Whistleblower Protection Act (HSchG)?

The federal law on the protection of whistleblowers in the event of legal violations came into force in Austria in February 2023 and affects legal entities with 50 or more employees. You can find more information about the legal basis here.

Within the framework of the BDO whistleblower system, we can support you in the following areas:

		Development of the procedures for your internal whistleblowing system (compliance with EU whistleblowing laws and the GDPR) We work together with you to determine your organization's requirements for an internal reporting channel, your existing processes in this regard, and define your goals. We support you in developing the necessary measures and procedures to ensure compliance with the law.
		Implementation and support of whistleblower systems (including web-based platforms) Whistleblower systems are an important component of a functioning compliance management system. Web-based systems enable you to communicate with whistleblowers easily, clearly and, if necessary, anonymously. This allows you to uncover misconduct within the company at an early stage, greatly reducing any reputational risk.
		Acting as your internal reporting channel for whistleblowers If you wish, the independent experts of BDO will take over the tasks as your internal reporting channel for whistleblowers. We support you in processing hints, discreetly dealing with compliance violations and conducting internal investigations.

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To ensure an effective compliance management system (CMS) and to obtain knowledge of any potential infringements at the earliest possible opportunity (before the information is made public), companies have the option of expanding the scope (e.g., to include fraud, breach of trust, violations of labor law, etc.) and guarantee the whistleblowers protection from retaliation for these reports as well.

In the case of whistleblower systems that goes beyond the requirements of the HSchG, additional legal requirements must be taken into consideration (e.g. conducting a data protection impact assessment, information and retention periods, consent of the works council).

Our experts are happy to answer your questions and concerns

 

EU Directive on the Protection of Whistleblowers transposed into national law by Austrian legislator

Find out here if your organization needs to take action.

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Would you like to get an insight into additional services designed to safeguard corporate assets? You can read about all our support measures here.

Don’t hesitate to contact us!