Information about the internal reporting channel for whistleblowers

If you have observed any unlawful activities, misconduct, or faults in the operations of the Federation of Finnish Enterprises, you can report it through our reporting channel. Link to the reporting channel can be found from the footer of the frontpage yrittajat.fi. All reports will be treated confidentially. If the report falls under the scope of the Whistleblower Act, the processing of the report will follow the provisions of the Whistleblower Act.

The internal reporting channel is not intended for general feedback. You may give us feedback for our services and operations here (in Finnish).

What can be reported?

You can make a report if you suspect that a crime, misconduct, or other activity contrary to the public interest or law has occurred in the activities or events of the Federation of Finnish Enterprises or Suomen Yrittäjien Sypoint Oy. Regarding other issues, it is recommended to discuss the matter with the person responsible in our organization.

It is not possible to report issues observed in the activities of independent regional associations, local associations, or sectoral organizations belonging to the Federation of Finnish Enterprises through this reporting channel.

Reports must be made in good faith. Providing false or untrue information intentionally is prohibited.

You can make a report anonymously or using your own name. All reports made through the reporting channel are treated confidentially. The identity and information of the whistleblower, the subject of the report, and any other individuals mentioned in the report are protected.

How to make a report and how it will be handled?

The report must be made in the internal reporting channel of the Federation of Finnish Enterprises, which has been implemented in the First Whistle -system by the Juuriharja Consulting Group Oy. The reporting channel provides guidance on making a report. It is also possible to submit a report anonymously.

All reports are handled appropriately and confidentially. We protect the confidentiality of the identity of the whistleblower, the subject of the report, and any other parties mentioned in the report.

Only authorized personnel involved in the processing have access to the information in the report. In the course of the investigation, relevant individuals may be involved to ensure proper and thorough handling.
We do not disclose information about the identity of the reporting person, the subject of the report, or any other individuals mentioned in the report to external parties unless the proper handling of the report requires the transfer of information to authorities or similar actions.

Any personal data contained in the report is processed in accordance with the privacy statement of the reporting channel.

How and when the reporting person will be contacted?

After submitting the report, you will receive a code that allows you to log in later to access your report and communicate with the handlers. It is the responsibility of the reporting person to return to the reporting channel, as no reminders or other messages are sent outside the channel (e.g., via email).

Handlers will respond to you within the reporting channel and may request additional information for investigation. Handlers will provide a response within three months regarding any actions that may be taken based on your report.

Reporting on matters covered by the Whistleblower Act

If the report concerns a matter falling within the scope of the Whistleblower Act, the provisions of the Whistleblower Act (1171/2022) shall apply to its processing. More information on the Whistleblower Act and whistleblower protection can be found from the website of the Office of the Chancellor of Justice.

There are three general requirements for receiving whistleblower protection:

• At the time of the report, the reporting person must have a legitimate reason to believe that their information about a breach is true.
• The information about a breach must be included in the scope of the Whistleblower Act.
• The reporting person must be reporting a breach they have discovered in the course of their work.

The scope of the Whistleblower Act covers reports that concern breaches of European Union or national law, if they

• are punishable offenses
• may result in a penalty fee, or
• may seriously endanger the realisation of public interest.

The Whistleblower Act covers reports made about breaches in the following sectors:

• Public procurement (excluding defence and security spending)
• Financial services, products, and markets
• Prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing
• Product safety and conformity
• Traffic safety
• Environmental protection
• Radiation and nuclear safety
• Food and feed safety and animal health and welfare
• Public health (as defined by Article 168 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union)
• Consumer protection
• Privacy and personal data protection
• Network and information system security.
  

In addition, the following may be reported:

• Violation of rules concerning European Union fund management or expenditure implementation or European Union income or fund collection
• Violation of rules concerning the granting, use, or recovery of grants or state aid
• Violation of competition rules
• Violation of tax rules for businesses and corporations or arrangements made to obtain a tax advantage
• Violation of legislation enacted to protect consumers.

The Whistleblower Act provides protection for people who report breaches they have discovered in the course of their work.

The reporting person may be

• an employee or public servant
• a self-employed person
• a shareholder
• a member of the board of a corporation or foundation or the managing director
• a volunteer worker
• a trainee.

Reporting person may also report a breach that occurred during the negotiations preceding their hiring or in the course of an already discontinued employment relationship. Reports may be filed even if the negotiations did not result in the person’s hiring.

Whistleblower protection prohibits retaliation against reporting person. For example, an employer may not worsen a reporting person’s terms of employment, dismiss them, or lay them off because of their report.

In addition, the protection extends to persons who assist the reporting person in their reporting or are connected to the reporting person and risk post-report retaliation because of their work or station. For example, the above could be a shop steward, trusted representative, health and safety representative, other employee representative, or the reporting persons’s contractual partner, colleague, or relative.

The report should primarily be sent through the organisation’s internal reporting channel. Any breach observed in the activities of the Federation of Finnish Enterprises must first be reported through the internal reporting channel of the Federation on Finnish Enterprises. In some cases, the report may be made through the centralised external reporting channel of the Office of the Chancellor of Justice or directly to the competent authority.

The report may be made through the centralised external reporting channel of the Office of the Chancellor of Justice, if

The general requirements for receiving whistleblower protection are fulfilled and

• the reporting person cannot use the internal reporting channel
• the reporting person has a legitimate reason to believe that their internal report has not resulted in measures within the time prescribed or that it is ineffective, or
• the reporting person has a legitimate reason to believe that they may face retaliation due to their report.

Move to the centralised external reporting channel of the Office of the Chancellor of Justice.