Whistleblowing is currently a hot topic in Poland. After nearly three years of delay, Poland has finally implemented the EU Whistleblowing Directive 2019/1937.

Wonga Director of the Legal, Compliance, and HR Department Zuzanna Kopaczynska Grabiec discusses what systems needed to be set up to align with new Polish legislation on whistleblowing and how her team did so.

“Plan twice to implement once” is Teqball Group Legal Director Marianna Erdei’s approach to implementing new whistleblowing regulations in a manner that is not compliant only with Hungarian law but takes into account the local needs of other jurisdictions.

With the Whistleblowing Directive implemented into local legislation, whistleblowing has become an essential topic in companies. As national interpretations of the directive on whistleblowing have made it mandatory for organizations to introduce reporting channels and protective measures, businesses must navigate a more stringent and complex legal landscape.

An act of “whistleblowing” is usually defined in different vocabulary within the frameworks of management sciences and law perspective. A whistleblowing act happens when a person within or outside an organization, holding sensitive information regarding illegal, unethical, or abusive activities, or any action creating a risk to harm the organization, decides to speak out, to internal or external authorities. Whistleblowers are essentially the messengers who convey the information they have somehow acquired.

Whistleblowing transcends being a mere procedural checkbox – it is a lifeline for organizational integrity and accountability. It serves as a crucial mechanism for employees, business partners, and third parties to report unethical practices, illegal activities, or violations of company policies within their organizations.