What is a report and who can be a whistleblower?
A whistleblowing report is an oral or written report made in good-faith regarding any act that represents a breach of the law or of internal rules and procedures.
A report can be submitted by any person, who thereby acquires the status of a whistleblower (reporting person), such as:
- An employee (including volunteers or paid/unpaid interns), director, shareholder, collaborator, or any person acting on behalf of PPG;
- A client;
- A competitor;
- A job candidate;
- A business partner or potential business partner;
- Any representative of stakeholders (public institutions and authorities, companies, NGOs, recruitment candidates, etc.);
- Any other capacity.
Whistleblowers using this system benefit from protection against any form of retaliation that could be undertaken by filing a report.
What situations can be included in a report?
Non-compliance with internal ethics rules, business conduct, policies, or procedures; mismanagement; corruption; or other breaches of national and European legal framework, including food safety, animal health, and animal welfare.
Protection for whistleblowers and conditions for protection
Whistleblowers are entitled to protection provided the following conditions are met:
- They had reasonable grounds to believe that the information regarding the reported breaches was true at the time of reporting;
- The report was made in good faith.
