How to meet the EU Whistleblowing Directive requirements?

Anonymous reporting is when an employee or stakeholder within an organization submits a report detailing an instance of wrongdoing or illegal activity without revealing their identity to the individual charged with receiving the reports.  Their report could contain evidence of internal fraud or theft, bullying, harassment, or some other kind of misconduct. It might also contain a suggestion for an improvement to the way the company operates. What are the benefits of anonymous reporting?Adding an anonymous element to your whistleblowing process has a range of benefits for both the company and the whistleblower. Here are a few of the key ones.  For the whistleblower Confidence to submit a report without revealing their identityAvoid any potential retaliation, such as bullying or lack of career progressionBeing part of an organization that is open, transparent and encourages honest feedbackFeeling valued and heardFor the company Greater likelihood of receiving reportsSave money otherwise lost to fraud or theftOpportunities to unearth lucrative ideas that might not have been sharedKeeps issues inside the organization, avoiding negative media attentionCompliance with whistleblowing legislation and other standards and certificationsHow do I implement an anonymous reporting tool in my organization?The key to successfully implementing an anonymous reporting tool is clear communication. This involves an announcement of the introduction of the tool, an explanation of how it works and when it should be used, plus regular reminders and follow up training sessions to ensure take up. FaceUp is a secure, intuitive and easy to use anonymous reporting tool with a rich set of features. FaceUp can provide you with some handy materials and templates to make sure that implementation goes as smoothly as possible. For a reasonably priced, feature-rich system with the highest level of security and usability, why not give FaceUp reporting tool a try? Book a consultation with our specialist today.

An integrity line is a secure, anonymous medium through which employees or other stakeholders within an organization can report suspicions or instances of wrongdoing, usually anonymously. An integrity line can also be known as an ‘ethics line’, a ‘hotline’, and an ‘honesty line’. While traditionally this was a physical phone line that people could actually call up, these days most of this kind of whistleblowing is done via an online whistleblowing platform. An open and transparent workplaceAs the name implies, an integrity line is a clear way for an organization to show that they are committed to creating a workplace that is open and honest, where integrity is valued. By providing a clear communication channel for their employees to alert them to any kind of misconduct, as well as offering their own suggestions for how the company could improve, they are demonstrating their commitment to these principles. The benefits of introducing an integrity lineAn integrity line has a range of benefits for both the organization that chooses to implement it and the employees that ultimately end up using it. For the organizationDemonstrate your values As mentioned above, an integrity line shows your employees you want them to feel empowered to speak up when something isn’t right. Compliance with whistleblowing legislation In the EU, it is now the law that any organization with more than 50 employees must have a whistleblowing channel such as an integrity line. It is a similar story in other countries and regions around the world.  Save money lost to fraud and theft On average, 5% of a company’s annual revenue is lost to fraud, yet 3 times as many instances of fraud are unearthed via an integrity line than through traditional, expensive audits.  Reduce staff turnover and the associated costs Did you know that 18% of employees leave their job due to a negative atmosphere in the workplace? On average, it costs the equivalent of 6 months’ salary to replace a disillusioned employee. An integrity line can help reduce the number of employees who leave your company. Improve productivity You might not believe it, but an integrity line can even lead to an increase in productivity in your organization by removing bad actors and boosting morale. This is what happened with one of FaceUp’s clients, the Brno Municipal Office.  Discover potentially lucrative ideas As hinted at above, an integrity line is not just a tool for receiving reports of malpractice, but can also be a fertile source of new product ideas or other suggestions for improvements. Avoid unwanted media attention Allowing for issues to be reported and resolved through an integrity line means that you can keep the matter inside your organization and sidestep a situation where the person affected feels compelled to speak out in the media. For the employeeHave the chance to speak up something’s not right Knowing that your employer has an established whistleblowing channel provides peace of mind to employees who know they have the means to speak up if they witness something untoward. Protect themselves from retaliation Since most integrity lines are anonymous (like FaceUp), whistleblowers know that they won’t face a backlash or have their career prospects harmed by sending a report. How to ensure your employees use your integrity lineOnce you have decided to introduce an integrity line, you need to ensure people use it. Here at FaceUp we wrote a whole blog post on this subject, but the key takeaways are the following: A clear communication plan so your staff know the line existsTraining and guidance on how to use itAssigning personnel to investigate the reports you receiveGuaranteeing confidentiality through an anonymous reporting feature is also crucial to the uptake of the system.  Which integrity line to choose?There are a whole host of integrity lines and other whistleblowing systems on the market today, making it tricky to decide which one is right for your business. Again, FaceUp is here to help! We compiled a comprehensive list of the current best options in terms of integrity lines, to make your life a little easier. FaceUpFaceUp is a secure, intuitive and easy to use integrity line with a rich set of features including a customizable suggestion form and advanced suggestion management, both available in 113 languages.  It provides the highest level of data protection and anonymity - it is GDPR compliant, ISO 27001 certified and offers E2E encryption and 2FA. FaceUp can easily be integrated with your company intranet, website, or app through API. For a reasonably priced, feature-rich system with the highest level of security and usability, why not give FaceUp a try? Book a consultation with our specialist today.

A compliance line, also known as a hotline or ethics line, is a whistleblowing tool whereby employees or other stakeholders within an organization can report suspicions of wrongdoing or simply offer suggestions for efficiencies and improvements. They can usually do this anonymously for situations where the complaint might involve a colleague, manager or where the individual just wants to protect themselves from any negative fallout. Why introduce a compliance line?Introducing a compliance line is a clear signal to your employees that you value their feedback and take their concerns seriously. It shows that you are an open and transparent organization where no-one is afraid to speak up in the face of unethical behavior. As mentioned above, the anonymous aspect of a compliance hotline is crucial, since it protects the employee and allows the company to hear about issues that might otherwise have gone undiscovered (read more about ‘the onlooker effect).  This has a range of benefits from saving companies money lost to internal fraud and the costs of a high workforce turnover, to increasing productivity due to happier, more invested colleagues. Having an anonymous whistleblower line in your organization is also a crucial stipulation of most whistleblower legislation across the world, certainly in the EU where it is obligatory for companies above 50 employees. How to effectively implement a compliance lineThere is no value in having a comprehensive hotline if nobody uses it. This is why implementing your hotline properly is so important to reaping the rewards. An effective implementation involves these three parts: A clearly defined communication plan to notify all employees of the tool’s existence, including regular reminders as time goes on.Training and guidance provided to ensure that everyone knows how to use the tool and which scenarios it should be used for.Assigning personnel to receive and deal with the reports submitted via the hotline. These people could be either internal or external to your organization. Are you looking for a compliance line?For a reasonably priced, feature-rich system with the highest level of security and usability, why not give FaceUp a try? Book a consultation with our specialist today.

An online suggestion box is the digital version of the physical box of the past in which company employees could drop slips of paper with suggestions for improvements. These days, organizations may choose to implement an online version which brings with it a range of additional benefits.  What are the advantages of an online suggestion box?First and foremost, implementing an online suggestion box demonstrates that you are an open and transparent employer that values feedback from your employees.  The subsequent boost to employee morale can lead to an increased workforce retention rate, saving your company money in the long term. Did you know it costs an average of 6 months’ salary to replace a member of your team? In receiving feedback through a suggestion box, you may discover ways to make your processes more efficient, a lucrative new product or service, or unearth some deep-rooted dissatisfaction amongst your workforce.  You might even unearth a case of internal theft or company fraud, something which costs the average company 5% of their annual revenue. In providing a channel for staff to voice their concerns, you are able to keep these issues inside your company and avoid unwanted and negative media attention. For employees, an online suggestion box means that they have a clear means of making their voice heard when they witness wrongdoing or suspect it. Since an online suggestion box should always be anonymous (like FaceUp), they will also be protected against any potential retaliation or damage to their future career prospects. This is also beneficial to the company itself since it increases the likelihood of their employees using the system. Finally, introducing a suggestion box ensures that your organization remains compliant with the whistleblowing legislation in your particular territory (such the EU Whistleblowing Directive) as well as any standards or certifications which you follow. Read more about standards and certifications in our recent post. What functions should online suggestion box have?User-friendliness: Setting up and navigating the system is effortless, providing an intuitive user experience.Customizability: The software should be adaptable to align with your company's identity and branding. You should have the ability to incorporate elements such as your logo and corporate colors into forms and surveys.Anonymity: Employees or customers should have the option to submit suggestions and feedback anonymously. Notifications: The tool should send reminders to employees, ensuring consistent participation and maximizing the feedback you receive.Data and analysis: It enables swift organization and analysis of suggestions and feedback, offering visual data and analytics to inform your business decisions effectively.Easy Integration: Online suggestion box should be easily integrated through API with your company intranet, website, or app.How can I ensure my team uses a suggestion box?You can read in more detail about how to successfully implement a whistleblowing system or suggestion box in another of our recent blog posts, but it comes down essentially three key pillars: A clear communication plan so that your employees know that the suggestion box exists and are encouraged to use it.Training provision so employees are comfortable using the system, know when to use it and can get the most out of all the features it offers.Assigning roles, i.e. deciding which members of your company will be responsible for receiving suggestions and taking appropriate action.Which suggestion box should I choose?Which suggestion box should I choose?There are a host of online suggestion box solutions online. Here at FaceUp, we believe that our whistleblowing platform serves perfectly as a suggestion box, thanks to features such as anonymous reporting, follow-up two-way communication, voice messaging, intuitive user design, and high level of data security.  FaceUp is GDPR compliant, ISO 27001 certified and offers E2E encryption and 2FA. FaceUp can easily be integrated with your company intranet, website, or app through API. If you would like to give FaceUp a try, you can do so with a free 14-day trial.  Are you looking for the suggestion box?For a reasonably priced, feature-rich system with the highest level of security and usability, why not give FaceUp a try? Book a consultation with our specialist today.

How does corporate culture influence the success of companies? What does compliance entail, and what role does whistleblowing play in it? These questions were answered by Rohia Hakim, who worked as a Compliance Specialist for Ernst & Young (EY) for almost 10 years and now serves as a Compliance Officer for CTP Invest. Your experience in compliance is extensive, for nearly 10 years you worked as a Compliance Specialist for Ernst & Young (EY), and now you work as a  Compliance Officer for CTP Invest. What drew towards this kind of work?Compliance probably found me, rather than the other way around. At the time I was working for a multinational company. After several acquisitions and mergers, it became necessary to improve the company culture. So a huge HR program was implemented to change the company culture, for which I was the main face. Thanks to its successful implementation, I was ‘discovered’ by Ernst & Young and in 2011 accepted a job offer with them. That’s how I gained experience in compliance across various sectors and organizations, both in the private and public sphere. Compliance is definitely a fulfilling job and, in some ways, a calling. Many people still don’t exactly know what ‘compliance’ means. How would you briefly describe ‘compliance’?In my view, compliance is a lot more than simply adhering to laws and rules. Compliance is about obeying legal requirements, regulatory requirements, internal regulations, ethical standards, and ‘going the extra mile’. Especially from an ethics point of view, co-existing with the company’s surroundings and the like. I’m of the view that the law cannot cover all of life’s situations. Ethics improves an organization’s performance, reduces transaction costs, and strengthens employee loyalty. I believe that everyone would like to work in an ethical organization. In addition, it is clear that public pressure is increasing for corporate social responsibility. How does compliance help managers and companies? Does a company’s culture and ethics impact its success?Today it is absolutely clear that conducting their business ethically is critical for companies. Perhaps not globally, but definitely in developed countries. For example, I definitely see this sensibility among the younger generation, who prefer companies with higher ethical standards – whether they are a customer or potential employees, they are not willing to compromise or make concessions. What is the role of whistleblowing in compliance? Various analyses have long shown that whistleblowing is clearly the most common way companies uncover fraud. And it makes sense. Typically, it is employees that uncover fraud, since employees can catch or witness unusual behavior.  What is your experience with whistleblowing? Do you have any examples?I have many years of experience with whistleblowing. I have seen how companies can uncover instances of serious fraud through whistleblowing. It often reveals the possible manipulation of public contracts or details of corruption. Specifically, we could look at the case of whistleblowing in the tobacco industry, which was beneficial for the public at large. In that case, an internal whistleblower revealed that cigarettes (which, up until that point, were hugely promoted and consumed en masse) were harmful to our health and highly addictive. Something which cigarette producers until then vehemently denied. What are the biggest challenges in your job?The challenge is definitely that you have to constantly make yourself known to colleagues. So that compliance becomes an integral part of their daily lives. A positive part. I want to be a partner, not a threat or punitive agent. To be supportive rather than an obstacle to business. And also the fact that compliance is constantly changing. I don’t just mean legislation and requirements, but also the overlap of the two. A modern compliance officer also needs to know their way around data protection, ESG, and cyber security (IT). These are complex areas and require further professional development. And lastly communication. Communication is key, as with everything.

An ethics hotline is a way for employees or other company stakeholders to report instances of wrongdoing or offer suggestions for improvements. An ethics hotline used to simply refer to a physical phone line that was used for whistleblowing, whereas now the meaning has expanded to include whistleblowing software more generally. You may also hear an ethics hotline referred to as a whistleblowing system, speak-up line, fraud line plus a number of other names. How does an ethics hotline work?When a whistleblower wishes to alert a company’s management of their suspicions, they can do so through an ethics hotline. Traditionally, this would mean calling an ethics hotline on a physical phone, or leaving a note in a trust box. However, these days the most common method is to use an online whistleblowing system, which has the added bonus of anonymity for the whistleblower, plus a range of other helpful features. The report is received by the individual in the company who is designated to deal with them (known as the ‘assignee’) and the matter is subsequently looked into. Some whistleblowing systems, such as FaceUp, then allow for follow up communication between whistleblower and assignee. Who counts as a whistleblower?A whistleblower is anyone who works in or for an organization with suspicions that some kind of misconduct of wrongdoing is taking place. Wrongdoing can range from bullying and harassment, through to fraud and theft.  Whistleblowers are most commonly company employees, but can also be suppliers, contractors, freelancers, or anyone else who interacts with an organization. What are the benefits of an ethics line?A properly implemented ethics line will: help foster a culture of openness and transparencyprotect the whistleblower from retaliationreduce money lost to fraud or employee turnoverprotect your reputation by keeping matters internalimprove productivity by removing unprofessional employeesunearth areas for improvementensure your organization remains compliant with the relevant whistleblowing legislation in your regionWhich ethics hotline should I choose?There are a whole host of different ethics lines on the market today. Here at FaceUp, we put together a list of some of the leading contenders in a recent post.  Are you looking for en ethics hotline?For a reasonably priced, feature-rich ethics line with the highest level of security and usability, why not give FaceUp a try? Book a consultation with our whistleblower specialist today.

CTP Invest is the largest owner, developer and manager of logistics and industrial property in Europe. In 25 years they have become the largest publicly traded I&L developer in Europe and currently has around 900 employees and external workers. CTP Invest introduced a whistleblowing system in 2022 for several reasons. Besides getting themselves prepared for the new whistleblower protection law, the company’s leadership wanted to increase their credibility, accessibility, and also to provide the option for anonymous reporting. Compliance Officer Rohia Hakim, who has more than 10 years of experience in the compliance field, was in charge of the implementation of the whistleblowing system. Mrs. Hakim describes what was important in implementing the whistleblowing system: I consider the choice of whistleblowing tool to be key. Unfortunately, many contradictions still persist, such as a trust box next to the manager’s door, sitting under a CCTV camera. And as always, clear communication is important. Employees must be assured that their reports will be properly investigated and that they won’t face any kind of backlash if their report was made in good faith.  Why did you choose FaceUp?For me, an important factor was security and clear report management. FaceUp is also available in all the languages and jurisdictions in which we operate. Another plus was their compliance with ISO standards and GDPR requirements. I like the simplicity, accessibility and affordability of the platform. Moreover, I was intrigued by the story behind FaceUp’s founding and the fact that by using their platform, we are contributing towards a good thing – combating bullying in schools. FaceUp has absolutely fulfilled my expectations.” Mrs. Hakim explains that when introducing a whistleblowing platform in her organization, she had to start by explaining exactly what one was and what its benefits were: “It’s important right at the beginning to create a positive view of the tool’s effectiveness in tackling fraud and corruption. Any negativity, e.g. from management, can completely derail your efforts to set up effective whistleblowing. It’s also important to choose the right assignee, someone with experience in the area, but who most importantly has the confidence of employees.” CTP Invest first notified their employees about FaceUp via email, then through the company intranet and compliance training. They also included information about whistleblowing on their website, in their code of ethics and in other guidelines and company documents. So how did the employees react to its implementation? Our employees reacted positively to the FaceUp whistleblowing system. Almost immediately we received several suggestions on how to improve our working environment through the application. In total, we have received 45 reports through FaceUp since its introduction, compared to 0 before. Every report was relevant. The benefits are clear. Employees have been given a signal that we take their reports seriously, which is why we have enabled an external solution to give whistleblowers the chance to send reports securely and truly anonymously.  CTP Invest have largely received suggestions to improve their company culture through FaceUp, or matters concerning their working environment - more specifically, conflict in the workplace. “I recommend FaceUp to other companies whenever whistleblowing comes up,” concludes Rohia Hakim.