The EU directive, which forces companies to set up their own reporting channels and promises strong protection for whistleblowers, has been delayed in the Finnish legislative process.
The original deadline for the directive into Finnish law was December 2021, but now the law will be voted on in Parliament in the autumn at the earliest.
The aim of the directive is to outline independent reporting channels for companies with more than 50 employees. In addition, future legislation is expected to promote reporting channels for companies with less than 50 employees.
The aim of the directive is to protect those who warn of occupational safety and health violations, workplace violations and other unethical practices without fear of retaliation.
The preparation of the law has had to continue longer than expected.
by Juha Keränenan official in the Ministry of Justice, the bill is due to be passed by parliament by the end of September.
"This is a budget law that cannot be tabled until other major budget laws have been submitted to parliament." Keränen told Yle.
The law would create a centralized external reporting channel to the Chancellor of Justice’s office and recruit more staff.
Protection against retaliation, but not for providing false information
The future whistleblower protection law requires employees to safely report misconduct, which protects their identities.
Violation or failure to report this retaliation may result in liability for damages and liability for damages.
However, if the whistleblower makes false allegations, the whistleblower may be liable for damages.
Reporting channels already in use
The forthcoming directive has also led some municipalities to set up their own reporting channel before a government law.
There are already reporting channels in the municipalities of Kemi and Iisalmi. According to Iisalmi’s CFO Eeva Suomalainenit is a matter of internal control and risk management.
"We are now going to monitor how the system works and whether there is a need for this reporting channel," he said.
Since the establishment of the notification channel in January, only one complaint has been received through the system so far. According to a Finn, an anonymous report was not fully in line with the purpose of the directive.
"It concerned the monitoring and control of telework in general, not the activities of an individual or organization," The Finn said.
Source: The Nordic Page