On January 24, the BTC Company put in place a system for the protection of persons reporting potential breaches of laws and regulations in the company. This constitutes a voluntary step towards respecting transparency, corporate integrity and business ethics. The system is set up in accordance with the EU Whistleblowing Directive and the BTC Company’s Code of Conduct.
We have put in place a safe external line employees in our company can use to report any potential irregularities occurring in the company, which is accessible through a web link. This system for the reporting and processing of any potential irregularities is designed in a way that protects the persons reporting such irregularities, allowing them to feel safe. The line ensures complete anonymity of the person reporting the potential breach until the very end of the reporting process, unless the person reporting explicitly wishes to reveal their identity. The system also ensures that the person reporting doesn’t suffer any potential negative consequences because of their report, specifically retaliation. The external safe line is conducive to an even more transparent environment, where employees feel safe and heard even in unfortunate circumstances.
EU member states had to integrate the Directive on the Protection of Persons Reporting on Breaches of Union Law – the so-called EU Whistleblowing Directive 2019/1937, dated 23 October 2019 – into their legal systems by 17 December 2021. Even though we have not yet had to deal with any such cases at the BTC Company, we have decided to act in accordance with this directive in the interest of transparency, corporate integrity, and business ethics and compliance. Part of our commitment is also the prevention of any kind of discrimination or other irregularities taking place in the scope of the company’s activities. As such, we have joined the whistleblower protection initiative regardless of the fact that Slovenia as a country has yet to integrate the aforementioned directive into its national legal framework.
