After a long period of preparations the Whistleblower Protection Act has been finally passed.
The act becomes effective on the first of August 2023. As of this date, certain obliged persons must implement the reporting channels and comply with other obligations imposed by the act.
The exception applies to employers who have at least 50 and up to 249 employees and, at the same time, are not public contracting authorities.
Those persons who meet conditions above have a prolonged period until the fifteenth of December 2023 to implement the reporting channel.
The obligations that must be fulfilled by each obliged person include, in particular:
1) The implementation of the internal reporting channel;
2) The designation of a designated person who will receive reports;
3) The obligation to inform potential whistleblowers (in particular on ways and methods how to submit the report and about the contact information of the designated person); and
4) The prohibition of retaliation against whistleblowers for submission of the report.
By Michal Pálinkás, Partner, Act Legal