Whistleblowing means reporting improper conduct in a company. Please note that “whistleblowing” is referred to as “notification” (Nw. “varsling”) in chapter 2A of the Norwegian Working Environment Act (Nw. “arbeidsmiljøloven”).
Examples of improper conduct you can report through this whistleblowing channel include bullying, harassment, discrimination, racism, drug abuse, suspicion of financial irregularities (fraud), theft, corruption, embezzlement, security risks, health hazards and other incidents you believe to be unacceptable and which the management should be aware of in order to take action.
You can choose the extent to which your report will be anonymous:
1. Enter your contact details (NOT anonymous)
You can choose to enter your name and contact details so that SANDS can contact you for any further information and keep you updated about any developments in the matter. The person dealing with the case in the company will also know your identity as the whistleblower.
2. Partially anonymous
You may choose to remain anonymous from contacts in the company concerned. This means that SANDS will not pass on your identity to the company without prior consent. As a law firm, we ensure that the person dealing with the case maintains the strictest legal confidentiality, which guarantees full protection of your identity if you wish to remain anonymous from the company.
3. Create an anonymous user (Completely anonymous)
You can choose to remain completely anonymous so that neither the company concerned nor SANDS will be able to track your identity. We encourage you to create a username and password so that you can log into your own account and follow the case. Neither SANDS nor your employer will be able to track your identity, either when you enter the report or when you log in with your personal username and password.
The completed whistleblowing form will be sent directly to SANDS, the external whistleblowing partner of the company. You will receive confirmation on your screen when the report has been received.
SANDS will receive the report, undertake an initial assessment and inform the person in charge of whistleblowing in your company. That person will then consider further measures in consultation with SANDS. The company will decide on any further action and whether the report describes circumstances that require further investigation and/or corrective action on the part of the company.
The whistleblowing channel safeguards the whistleblower’s anonymity if the “complete anonymity” alternative is selected. This option makes it impossible for SANDS, the employer and others to track the identity of the whistleblower.
The channel ensures the anonymity of the whistleblower because the solution is not developed or located on a completed web platform. Instead, it is made in pure VBScript and only runs on the employer’s/SANDS’ web server. No information about the whistleblower is saved on the web server, provided that the whistleblower has not entered the contact details him/herself. No information will be kept on the whistleblower’s computer.
Neither SANDS nor the company will be able to track your identity, unless you provide such information. Your IP address will not be logged, and it will not be possible to track you electronically. The submitted form will be saved on a secure server.
If you have provided us with your contact details, you will receive feedback within reasonable time. The feedback will usually contain information about how the matter has been dealt with as well as the outcome. If the processing takes some time, you may also receive information at earlier stages.
If you have chosen to remain completely anonymous, SANDS will only be able to inform you as to how the case is proceeding if you have created a username and password on an anonymous page. Neither SANDS nor the company will be able to track your identity, unless you provide such information.
According to Section 2 A-1 of the Norwegian Working Environment Act, as an employee, you have the right to report improper conduct in a company. Whistleblowing must be performed in a reasonable manner. The use of the whistleblowing channel satisfies this requirement. The information provided is also required to be true. Any uncertainty must be apparent. Under Section 2A-4 of the Norwegian Working Environment Act, retaliation against an employee for whistleblowing in a reasonable manner is prohibited. Such an action may lead to the employee claiming compensation from his/her employer.