
FAQ for the German Whistleblower Protection Act (HinSchG)
What is the German Whistleblower Protection Act?
The Whistleblower Protection Act (in German "Hinweisgeberschutzgesetz", or "HinSchG") is based on the EU Whistleblower Protection Directive of 2019. Its goal is to enable whistleblowers to report legal violations as safely as possible. You can find the full law text here.
To whom does the Whistleblower Act apply?
As a first step in 2023, the law applied to companies located in Europe with more than 250 employees. Since 2024, its scope widened and now it applies to European companies with more than 50 employees.
​​​​​​​What are the sanctions for companies that do not (correctly) implement the HinSchG?
Sanctions are up to EUR 1 million.
​​​What are the first steps a company (especially an SME) should take to harmonise its practices with the HinSchG?
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Solid information about the respective requirements
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Selection of a good system
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Interdisciplinary project team
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Reaching the target group: technically and linguistically
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Knowing the formal requirements and implementing them with the target group in mind
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Not only process messages, but also communicate them​
What do the HinSchG and the LkSG have in common?
​​​​​​Appropriate complaints procedures are a core element of the due diligence obligations established by the LkSG. According to Sections 8 and 9 of the Act, every company must have a grievance procedure in place through which internal and external persons can inform the company of human rights or environmental risks or violations in its own business operations and in the supply chain. Companies can use an internal company procedure for this, participate in an equivalent external procedure or combine internal and external complaints procedures.
While developing the bizpando platform, we put great importance on two aspects from the very beginning:
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First, the whistleblowing solution must be usable for both large corporations and small businesses.
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Secondly, anonymity and an anonymous exchange of questions and information must be possible throughout the entire processing time.
We have implemented both in the whistleblower function "whistlehorn", which is an add-on of the bizpando platform. A company can either process the whistleblowing itself or commission a service provider to do so.​​​​​
How can SMEs ensure that they comply with the LkSG and the HinSchG without overstretching their resources?
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A digital system like bizpando that fulfils both requirements
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Train authorised persons and relevant employees before implementation, ensures efficiency during implementation
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Set limits, what can the organisation achieve - where is external support needed?
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Start implementation in good time, avoid time pressure
Short Facts of the German Whistleblower Protection Act

Full law text of the German Whistleblower Protection Act
Please click on the following button to then choose the text box of the HinSchG:
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