On Friday, 30 September 2022, a seminar titled “Implementation of the Whistleblower Protection Act” was held at RIHub in Rijeka, organized by the Office of the Ombudswoman. The seminar was intended for employers’ confidential persons to help them better understand their role, rights, and obligations in implementing internal whistleblowing procedures. This free seminar will also be held later in the year in Split, Zagreb, and Osijek.
During the theoretical part of the seminar, Deputy Ombudswoman Dijana Kesonja introduced all participants to the provisions of the Whistleblower Protection Act (ZZPN), with a particular focus on the new features introduced when the updated Act came into force in April this year.
Among other topics, Deputy Kesonja spoke about changes in the legal framework, the rights and duties of employers, confidential persons, and whistleblowers, the internal whistleblowing channel, how to submit a report to the Ombudswoman as the competent authority for external reporting, and the possibility of public disclosure of irregularities. She also addressed judicial protection for whistleblowers and the challenges they face in practice.
To help participants prepare for applying the new ZZPN when handling whistleblower reports, the seminar included a practical session involving a hypothetical case.
Confidential persons are responsible for conducting internal whistleblowing procedures, which—alongside external reporting and public disclosure—are the three methods of reporting irregularities provided for by law. As part of these procedures, and to ensure the monitoring of ZZPN implementation and how whistleblowers exercise their right to protection, they are required to inform the Ombudswoman about all received reports and the outcomes of the proceedings.
Following Rijeka, the next seminar on whistleblower protection will be held on 18 October in Split, with additional seminars planned for Zagreb and Osijek before the end of the year. All interested parties will be informed in a timely manner.
Participation in the seminar is free, with a limited number of up to 25 participants. In case of greater interest, the possibility of organizing additional seminars will be considered.
You can find more important information for whistleblowers and confidential persons [here].