Frequently asked questions
About the reporting process, anonymity, and what happens after you submit.
English tutorials with a fictional organisation and case. National law and your organisation’s procedure also apply.
Report securely and track your case
2:36 · English · captions included
Chapters and transcript
0:00 — Report. Save. Return.
Report safely. Save the three details that open your case. Return to read the replies. In immediate danger, call the emergency services. This inbox is not an emergency service.
0:14 — Report from a safer place
Use your own device and an internet connection that you control. Do not use work devices, workplace Wi-Fi, or shared browser profiles. Private browsing does not hide your activity from your employer. No website can remove every risk.
0:31 — Check who receives the report
Open the whistleblowing channel with the official link or QR code from your organisation. Check the organisation name and the web address. The authorised case handlers of the organisation receive your report. EthicsPortal only provides the software. Select Make a report.
0:51 — Describe what happened
Select the closest category. Describe what happened, when, where, and how you know it. Keep the facts that you saw separate from your suspicions.
1:02 — Check files and identity
Attach only evidence that you can access lawfully. Check file names, document properties, and photos for details that identify you. Your voice can also identify you. You can report anonymously. Email alerts are optional. Case handlers do not see your address unless you share it. The service still processes it.
1:24 — Save your three access details
Submit, and wait for the receipt. If you see an error, the report was not received. Save all three details: where to return, your Case ID, and your sixteen-digit password. Use paper that you keep away from work, or a personal password manager. Never use work email or work printers.
1:44 — The password is the key
Anyone with these details can open your case. The details can also connect you to the report. Keep them private. Nobody can recover the password, not even the case handler. If you lose it, report again and mention the old Case ID.
2:01 — Return and reply
Return regularly, especially if you gave no email address. Sign in with your Case ID and password. Read the questions from the case handler. To reply in the same case, select Send message. You never need to give your name.
2:16 — Retaliation and exit
If you experience retaliation because you reported, describe it and select the retaliation option. When finished, select Exit to lock the inbox. Exit does not delete your browser history or downloads. You can also report directly to a competent authority.
What should you report?
2:33 · English · captions included
Chapters and transcript
0:00 — What you can report
You can report wrongdoing that you learned about at work, if you have reasonable grounds to believe it is true. You do not need to prove everything. Describe the facts. Do not present a suspicion as a fact.
0:15 — Example: public procurement
Two bids contain the same unusual errors. One supplier received a competitor’s price before the deadline. Report the tender, the dates, and what you saw. Explain why you suspect coordination. Do not say that bribery happened if you cannot prove it.
0:32 — Example: safety and environment
A failed safety test is recorded as passed. Or waste goes into a river. Give the product or the site, the dates, what you saw, and any continuing risk. If people are in danger now, call the emergency services. Do not wait for a reply.
0:50 — Example: personal data misuse
Customer records are sent to a personal account without a business reason. Describe what happened and where the evidence is. Do not upload the whole database as proof. Share only the minimum information.
1:04 — Check national law and policy
The EU Directive covers specific areas of EU law. National law often covers more. Fraud, harassment, or discrimination can also be protected, or be covered by your organisation’s policy. The category that you select does not decide if legal protection applies.
1:24 — A personal complaint may need another route
A dispute about your own pay, leave, or work relationship usually belongs to HR. But a problem that affects you can still be wrongdoing. If it involves wider misconduct, discrimination, or retaliation, report the facts and ask for advice about the right route.
1:42 — Make the report useful
On the twenty-first of October, I saw invoices one hundred and four and one hundred and five for the same delivery. Both appeared approved. I do not know whether both were paid. This report says what you saw, why it is a concern, and what you do not know.
2:00 — Report honestly
Never invent or exaggerate. Say when information is second-hand, and why you trust it. Do not hack accounts. Do not access information that you are not allowed to access. An honest mistake is not the same as false information given on purpose.
2:16 — Choose your route
Read the procedure of your organisation. You can also report directly to a competent authority. Public disclosure has separate conditions. If you report here, save your access details, and return to answer questions.
Why should I submit a report?
Misconduct — fraud, harassment, data breaches, safety violations — often stays hidden because people fear retaliation. Your report helps address it before it escalates. EU Directive 2019/1937 and its national transposition protect you from retaliation when you report breaches of EU law.
What can I report?
Breaches of EU or national law: corruption, fraud, discrimination, harassment, workplace safety, data protection, environment, product safety, competition, money laundering, public procurement, conflict of interest. If you are unsure, report it and the case handler will review.
Is my report really anonymous?
Yes, if you choose to be. You are not required to give your name or contact details. Your IP address is not stored alongside your report. File metadata (location, camera, author) is stripped automatically before storage, except comment author names and embedded photos inside a PDF. Report content is encrypted at rest.
How do I receive feedback while staying anonymous?
When you submit a report you receive a Case ID and a password. Enter both on the secure inbox page to read the case handler's messages and reply. No account and no email address are required.
What happens after I submit?
You receive acknowledgment within 7 days (EU Directive 2019/1937 Art. 9(1)(b)). A case handler investigates and updates you via the secure inbox. You receive substantive feedback within 3 months of acknowledgment (Art. 9(1)(f)).
What if I lose my Case ID or password?
They cannot be recovered. This is by design: the system never looks you up by identity. Submit a new report and mention your Case ID in the description, if you still have it.