This reporting system is available to all employees at the Johannes Kepler University Linz in order to submit reports providing information about any violation(s) of EU law. Information and consulting with committees, such as the Works Council and the Working Group for Equal Opportunity, in respect to legal violations of any kind (i.e. not only concerning EU Union law) remain unaffected, of course, and you can continue to call upon these groups independently of this option. Students can contact the Austrian Student Union, opens an external URL in a new window, but can also submit information on EU law violations here.

You can use our online reporting tool to voluntarily report any (suspected) violations and substantiated suspicions of misconduct against Union law. Only certain employees at the Internal Auditing department will be able to view your report. Information you provide can help uncover internal misconduct and potential risks to ultimately develop preventative measures.

Online Reporting Tool, opens an external URL in a new window

When submitting your report, you can decide whether or not you wish to submit your information anonymously or use your name. In any case, you will receive a link and a password after creating a report in the browser. Please keep both in a safe place; in case of loss, your access to your report in the system is technically impossible, even our department cannot restore it. We assure you a confidential and careful processing. In the course of processing, we will carefully examine each reported tip and, if necessary, initiate appropriate follow-up measures.

Once received, each report is handled with the same care and discretion according to the following procedure:

1. Review and evaluation of initial information (applying the EU Directive)
2. In the event of plausibility, introduction of a special investigation/revision
3. Preparing and conducting the investigation
4. Evaluating and coordinating the interim results
5. Setting up of measures following an investigation by responsible person(s) / responsible bodies
6. Preparing and distributing the special audit report
7. Anonymization and storing/archiving documents

Whistleblowers will receive separate feedback regarding interim and final investigation findings through the reporting system.

Under the EU Whistleblower Directive, in order to be protected as a whistleblower, your tip must be submitted in a minimum of one of the following reporting categories:

• Public procurement
• Financial services, financial products and financial markets, and preventing money laundering and financing terrorism
• Infringements against financial interests pertaining to the European Union
• Infringements of internal market rules
• Public health
• Environmental protection
• Privacy and personal data protection and security of network and information systems
• Product safety and conformity
• Consumer protection
• Transportation safety
• Radiation protection and nuclear safety
• Food and feed safety, animal health and welfare

The EU Whistleblower Directive stipulates that whistleblowers themselves - as well as intermediaries, colleagues and relatives - are to be protected from any adverse consequences. In this regard, the employer is not permitted to take the following legal steps:

• Terminate whistleblower
• Initiate disciplinary action
• Deny promotion
• Reduce salary
• Reduce the scope of the whistleblower's duties and responsibilities
• Submit a negative performance review

In addition, and in accordance with Art. 14 of the GDPR, any employee accused by a whistleblower has the right to be informed of the circumstances and content in the submitted report. In addition, and in accordance with Art. 15 of the GDPR, the employee has the right to information with regard to his/her processed data.

Whoever

• obstructs, or seeks to obstruct, whistleblowers, and/or those who assist them in reporting a whistleblower, and/or puts pressure on whistleblowers through deliberate judicial or administrative proceedings,
• undertakes any prohibited action in retaliation for whistleblowing,
• violates the terms of confidentiality,
• knowingly submits a false tip-off,
   

is committing an administrative offense and, provided the offense is not subject to a more severe penalty under another provision, is liable to pay a fine of up to € 20,000, or € 40,000 in repeated cases, imposed by the district administrative authority.