On Thursday, 8 December 2022, the fourth in a series of seminars titled “Implementation of the Whistleblower Protection Act” was held at the Faculty of Law, University of Osijek, organized by the Office of the Ombudswoman. This was the final seminar of the year, following previous sessions in Rijeka, Split, and Zagreb.
These free seminars are aimed at educating employers’ confidential persons to ensure a better understanding of their roles, rights, and responsibilities in implementing internal whistleblowing procedures.
During both the theoretical and practical parts of the seminar, all participants had the opportunity to familiarize themselves more thoroughly with the provisions of the Whistleblower Protection Act, particularly the new elements introduced with the enactment of the updated law in April this year. These were presented by Ombudswoman’s advisor Matea Miloloža.
She explained the changes in the legal framework brought by the new Act, which came into force on 23 April 2022, and detailed the rights and obligations of employers, confidential persons, and whistleblowers, as well as the various reporting channels. She also outlined the procedure for submitting a report to the Ombudswoman, the authority responsible for external whistleblowing, along with the options for public disclosure and legal protection for whistleblowers.
To help participants prepare for the practical implementation of the new Act when handling whistleblower reports, the seminar also included a hands-on exercise based on a hypothetical case. This session was jointly led by advisors from the Ombudswoman’s office, Jasminka Hum Kezele and Ivana Alagušić.
Participants were also interested in how to handle anonymous reports, how to proceed in retaliation cases, and the specifics of the timing and content of the notification on the outcome of a procedure, which must be submitted to the Ombudswoman. They also raised questions about the protection mechanisms available for confidential persons themselves.
Confidential persons are specifically responsible for managing internal whistleblowing procedures—one of the three legally recognized reporting methods, along with external reporting and public disclosure. In addition, they are obliged to inform the Ombudswoman about all received reports and their outcomes to enable effective monitoring of how the Whistleblower Protection Act is applied and how whistleblowers exercise their right to protection.
You can find more important information for whistleblowers and confidential persons [here].