Whistleblower function

The Swedish Defence University has a formal whistleblower function, which makes it possible for staff and students to report suspected irregularities easily, confidentially or completely anonymously. An external supplier receives and investigates reports.

Whistleblower function in digital reporting system

Phone number for fhs-unique voicemail for verbal reporting:
+46 77-140 16 22

Email address for reporting via email:
rapportering@kpmg.se

Individual employers, such as the Swedish Defence University, are responsible for reports from employees or people in similar employment relationships, such as consultants and trainees. The Swedish Defence University's whistleblower function also includes students.

How the whistleblower function works

Reporting is done via a digital form, phone, email or at a personal meeting. You choose the reporting method and whether you wish to remain anonymous. Please note that a report may not contain classified information.
An external supplier assesses whether it is a genuine whistleblower case and checks the next step with the Swedish Defence University's steering group.
The matter is being investigated further.
An external supplier presents its conclusions and recommendations to the Swedish Defence University's steering group, which decides on the next step.
Reporting back to the reporter is done via the external supplier.
The case is closed.

Guaranteed anonymity

In the digital reporting system, you as a reporter can be completely anonymous. No personal information needs to be provided and no account registration needs to be done to start a case. However, providing your name will facilitate further investigation of the case and/or follow-up of the status of the case.

The digital reporting service is completely independent of the Swedish Defence University so that it will not be possible to investigate who is behind a report through, for example, IP addresses. If you provide an email address, it will not be visible to the Swedish Defence University. The third-party provider does not store IP addresses or other metadata. The system also protects the report and any information about the person(s) whose identity is revealed in the report.
For reporting via the e-mail address, there are no specific anonymity solutions.

If you want to remain anonymous, it's a good idea to be careful about how you express yourself, so that it's not obvious to the recipient who you are. It's also important to clear any attachments of user information that could reveal who you are.

All information linked to a case is deleted from the system when the case has been processed, so that no sensitive information is stored with the external supplier unnecessarily.

Whistleblower protection

Anyone who has reported an employer for serious misconduct may not be subjected to reprisals. It also applies to those who have reported discrimination or complained that an actor is violating the Discrimination Act. Retaliation may include, for example, an employer ordering unreasonable overtime, subjecting the person who reported to a higher workload or unqualified work tasks. Anyone who is subjected to reprisals can report it to the Equality Ombudsman (DO).

Those who are employed in the public sector have a particularly far-reaching protection through the protection of whistleblowers, which is regulated by the constitution – this possibility remains. The new whistleblower law means that the employee is protected against reprisals and that information about the whistleblower's identity must be covered by confidentiality.

On the other hand, persons who intentionally and knowingly report false or misleading information shall not be protected. The whistleblower function can provide guidance on issues relating to suspected misconduct.

Protection of the person subject to whistleblowing

The person or persons suspected of irregularities and who are the subject of a whistleblowing do not have the same strong protection as the whistleblower, but the identity is not disclosed except when necessary, for investigative reasons and then to as few as possible, or for reasons that have to do with the statutory principle of public access to official records.

The process for handling reports ensures the protection and safety of reported persons in connection with investigation and handling. Personal data may not be stored for longer than required by the matter. This means that personal data in reports that are not deemed to involve serious irregularities or misconduct must be deleted and removed quickly in accordance with established procedures.

The Swedish Defence University's steering group consists of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, the Deputy Head of Human Resources and the Head of the Office for Professional Support. If a member of the steering group is the subject of the whistleblowing or has a conflict of interest, that person should not participate in the work on the case. The external provider is responsible for continuous feedback to the whistleblower and ensures that their privacy is protected and remains anonymous throughout the process if they so wish.

A whistleblower case can lead to various measures such as reporting a person to the police, reporting a person to the staff disciplinary board or the dismissal of suspicions, if the investigation shows that no wrongdoing has been committed.

A report, which is written off somewhere in the process, may still be relevant to proceed with, albeit not as a regular whistleblower case. Here, the external supplier can guide the notifier and also the university.

Basically, there are three ways to report misconduct – internally via the whistleblower function, externally via specially designated authorities and by turning to the media that can make misconduct public.

In December 2021, the Whistleblower Act, the Act (2021:890) on the Protection of Persons Who Report Misconduct, came into force. This means that all workplaces with more than 50 employees must have a whistleblower function where employees can report irregularities at their workplace. The law also provides protection for the whistleblower against reprisals from the employer. The Swedish Defence University has procured an external supplier that has a digital reporting channel (reporting system), a reception function and an investigation function with extensive experience.

The Act (2021:890) on the Protection of Persons Who Report Misconduct does not apply to the reporting of classified information under the Protective Security Act (2018:585) or information relating to national security in the activities of an authority in the defence and security area.

Anything that contravenes Swedish law and EU law can always be reported. For example:

suspected embezzlement;
financial crimes, such as giving or receiving bribes or forgery;
corruption, for example if a key person or person in a leading position at the National Defence University abuses his or her position
serious environmental crimes
serious cases of discrimination and harassment

Abuses in the public interest, i.e. in the interest of a wider circle of people. For example:

serious breaches of SEDU's internal rules and governing documents,
serious shortcomings in workplace safety.
Areas covered and mentioned in Directive (EU) 2019/1937 of the European Parliament and of the Council include, for example, breaches of law in public procurement and financial services, prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing, environmental protection and public health.

The whistleblower function is not intended to report minor wrongdoing or general dissatisfaction and complaints. Comments of this nature are reported and handled via the Swedish Defence University's regular reporting channels. Whistleblowing shall not apply to misconduct that is linked to one's own employment relationship.

Published 2023-11-27 Updated 2024-01-08