Whistleblower Protection Act

With the Whistleblower Protection Act (HinSchG), which took effect on June 3 and July 2, 2023, respectively, the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, as an employer, is required to establish a mechanism for internal reporting of violations pursuant to § 2 HinSchG, to which employees may turn “who, in connection with their professional activities or in the course of preparing for such activities, have obtained information about [such] violations and report or disclose this information to the reporting bodies provided for under this Act” (§ 1(1) HinSchG). The Act also protects persons “who are the subject of a report or disclosure, as well as other persons affected by a report or disclosure” (Section 1(1) HinSchG).

Points of contact for reports or disclosures within the meaning of the HinSchG are, at the Academy, the Staff Council or the Managing Director, Dr. Werner.

A report or disclosure to the internal reporting office may be made in writing (by letter or email) or orally (in person, by phone, or digitally) and will be treated confidentially by the reporting office in accordance with § 8 HinSchG.

The full text of the law can be found online at the following address:

https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/hinschg/BJNR08C0B0023.html