Czechia - August 2023

After more than a decade of discussion, a law protecting whistleblowers from retaliation, such as dismissal or demotion, came into force on 1 August. It requires companies with 250 employees or more to establish a transparent internal system for reporting illegal practices at work. Later this year it will also apply to companies with 50 employees and above. Protection is only awarded to whistleblowers when it comes to certain crimes, for instance those with a fine of over CZK 100,000 or violations of selected areas of European law such as financial services and public procurement. Additionally, the whistleblower cannot be anonymous and must have worked for the organization, even if in a volunteer or self-employed capacity. The law answers a directive published by the EU in 2019, requesting that all member states ensure adequate whistleblower protection by December 2021. The Czech Republic will have to pay a late fine of CZK 64 million to the European Commission. Civil society groups have raised concerns about weaknesses of the bill, such as the handling of whistleblower reports by the Ministry of Justice instead of an independent agency. 

Sources: Transparency International, Expats, iROZHLAS, Transparency International