THE GOVERNMENT of Prime Minister Sanna Marin (SDP) last week presented its proposal for implementing the whistleblowing directive of the European Union, reports Helsingin Sanomat.
The directive is designed to detect and prevent misconduct and breaches of laws and regulations; to establish confidential and secure reporting channels to protect whistleblowers from retaliation; and to protect and enable whistleblowers to raise concerns without fear of retaliation.
The protections exist not only for current employees, but also for job applicants, former employees, supporters of whistleblowers and journalists.
The directive was to be implemented across the 27-country bloc at the end of last year, but the national implementation has been delayed in a number of member states, including Finland.
Helsingin Sanomat on Tuesday wrote that the Finnish bill prohibits organisations from retaliating against, for example, an employee who reports wrongdoing. Violating the prohibition or preventing an employee from issuing such report may trigger liability for compensation or an obligation to pay compensation to the employee.
The bill states that private companies with 50–249 employees must introduce an internal channel that enables the anonymous reporting of misconduct by 17 December 2023. Companies with 250 or more employees must introduce such a channel within three months of the act passing. The obligation to set up the channel will also apply to certain smaller organisations in the...
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