The new law is based on an EU directive and came into force as early as December 2021. But from Sunday, employers must introduce a system for whistleblowers.
The requirement for a whistleblower service initially applies to public employers with at least 50 employees or private employers with at least 250 employees. From 17 December 2023, the requirement will also apply to private companies with at least 50 employees.
– This requires employers to ensure that they have an internal channel, an arrangement to be able to catch misconduct related to work, says the Swedish Work Environment Authority’s director general Erna Zelmin to TT.
Lowers the threshold
The Swedish Work Environment Authority is one of the authorities that has been given the supervisory task of ensuring that workplaces comply with the new requirements. One of the tasks is to ensure that employers have a whistleblowing system.
– We do not have an assignment to go in and check if the channel is good or bad or how it works. But we must ensure that you have a system, that you have routines and that it is clear what applies, says Erina Zelmin and continues:
– If we see that employers do not have it, we have the opportunity to point this out and then we also have the opportunity to impose a fine if it is not arranged.
Therese Svanström, chairman of the central organization TCO, views the new law positively and believes that it strengthens the protection for whistleblowers and at the same time lowers the threshold for what you can whistle about.
– Before, it would be serious misconduct that gave you protection when you whistled. Now it is enough that it is misconduct that has a public interest, says Therese Svanström to SVT.
But the legislation is complicated
Therese Svanström believes that the new law will contribute to more whistleblowers, but is prepared that it may take some time to adapt as the new law is more comprehensive than it was before.
– I think it will be difficult for both employers and employees to do the right thing in the beginning. Before we know how everything will work.