On June 18, 2022, the Whisteblowing Law came into force in Portugal.
All companies with 50 or more workers will be subject to the obligations of this law, although there are exceptions such as, for example, financial institutions.
Among the main obligations of the entities, we highlight the establishment of an internal whistleblower channel that allows the presentation and safe follow-up of the same complaints, as well as the communication, to the whistleblower, of the measures planned/adopted to do so within a maximum period of time. 3 months.
In the process of handling complaints, entities will have to guarantee exemption, confidentiality and impartiality, keep a record of complaints received for a period of around 5 years and not practice retaliation against the whistleblower.
Failure to comply can result in fines of up to €250,000.
This law was discussed at the Conference «The WhistleBlowing Law» on the 21st