The implementation of the reporting channel for suspected abuse is based on the EU's Whistleblower Directive (EU 2019/1973).
On this page, you will find a link to the First Whistle channel used by Pro. The reporting channel has been established in accordance with the Reporter Protection Act (1171/2022 ).
What is it about?
If our employee or a person who works with us encounters illegal activity in their work or suspects a violation, we want to know about it.
Primarily, we encourage you to discuss the topic with a close supervisor or to contact Pro's management or legal services. If this is not possible, you can report your suspicions of abuses or violations of the law through the whistleblowing channel.
Doubts related to the violation of the association's rules should be reported to Pro's Director of Finance and Administration.
Who can submit a report?
The report can be made by a person falling within the definition of the Whistleblower Protection Act, who has encountered a suspicion of misconduct related to Pro's operations or a violation of legislation in his work.
Can the report be submitted anonymously?
We recommend that you report the matter under your own name. In this case, we will be able to clarify the situation better. However, the report can also be left anonymously, and the system enables communication with the anonymous reporter.
How does reporting take place in practice?
The report is made in writing in the whistleblowing channel.
You will receive a random login and password in the channel. Remember to save these for yourself so that you can see the answer and the progress of the processing process. If you wish, you can continue the conversation with the handlers of the report confidentially and securely.
A report can be made without concrete evidence or full certainty as to whether a violation has occurred. Intentional reporting of unfounded information is, however, prohibited and considered vandalism.
What matters can be reported?
In the channel, you can report violations of legislation falling within the scope of the Whistleblower Protection Act, which includes:
- public procurement
- financial services, products and markets and money laundering and terrorist financing
- product safety and compliance
- road safety
- environmental protection
- radiation safety and nuclear safety
- food and feed safety, animal health and welfare
- public health
- consumerism
- protection of privacy and personal data and security of network and information systems
- violations of state aid rules
- violations related to the internal market in so far as it concerns corporate tax rules or a tax advantage contrary to the purpose of corporate tax legislation.
What things do not belong in the whistleblowing channel?
The channel is not intended as a transaction channel for matters related to membership management or member feedback. Member feedback and dealing with member matters takes place through Pro's member services. Suspicion of inappropriate behavior also belongs to Pro's internal channels, and therefore not to this reporting channel.
Who processes the reports and how does the processing process proceed?
When submitting a report, you select the subject to which the announcement belongs. At Pro, reports are processed by the Human Resources Manager, the Director of Finance and Administration and the Head of Legal Services.
If the investigation of the report leads to suspicion of a crime, we will forward the information about the report to the authorities.
The report will be acknowledged as received within seven days. In addition, within three months of receiving the report, the notifier will receive information on which measures will be implemented based on the report.
How is the informant protected?
The channel is designed to protect the identity of the whistleblower in all situations related to making the report, and they are protected by the confidentiality obligations set by the Notifier Protection Act. Disclosure of the identity of the informant is only permitted in situations specifically regulated by law in connection with the investigation of the report.
The persons affected by the report may not participate in the processing of the report or in the decision-making regarding further measures, regardless of their role. The whistleblower may not face any countermeasures or negative sanctions as a result of reporting the violation. The protection does not only apply to those in an employment relationship but also, for example, to job seekers, previous employees, subcontractors, and relatives of the informant.
The prerequisite for the protection of the whistleblower is that the whistleblower had a justified reason to believe that the reported information was correct at the time of reporting and that the report fell within the scope of the directive.
What if it doesn't work out?
In addition to the whistleblowing channel, a centralized external reporting channel maintained by the Chancellor of Justice has been established by the Whistleblower Protection Act. This can be used in a situation where no action has been taken based on an internal report, the violation cannot be effectively addressed based on an internal report, or if the reporting party has reason to believe that he or she is at risk of being subject to countermeasures due to reporting to the internal channel.
Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
You can also read frequently asked questions related to the reporting channel and reporting abuses here.