Whistleblowing scheme at SDU

From 1 November 2020, it has become mandatory for all ministries and government agencies to introduce a whistleblowing scheme, while the scheme is optional for SDU.

But there's no need for undue worry, it's not because we have a huge amount of this type of cases at SDU. The scheme is actually intended as an extra opportunity to ensure openness and transparency in relation to any serious illegal acts, irregularities and offensive behaviour at SDU, explains University Director Thomas Buchvald Vind.

'We want to make sure that our employees have a place to go if they have knowledge they want to share. It's hard to imagine truly grave cases here, but they probably felt the same at the National Board of Social Services, for example, before the Britta case, in the research community before the Penkowa case, at the Ministry of Defence before the fraud case in the Estate Agency, or among politicians and citizens before all the harassment cases began to emerge'.

First, try to solve it yourself

If as an employee at SDU you have knowledge of or a reasonable suspicion of serious illegal acts, irregularities or offensive behaviour at SDU, you should always first consider whether the problems can be solved by using the regular channels. As an employee, you can, for example, contact your immediate manager or your staff representative.

The whistleblowing scheme is intended as an alternative, which can be used if you don't feel comfortable using the regular channels or have approached these channels in vain.

And remember that as a public employee, you actually have a duty to report, as stated in the publication 'Code of conduct in the public sector', chapters 2 and 3 https://www.medst.dk/arbejdsomraader/publikationer/code-of-conduct-in-the-public-sector.

'If as an employee at SDU, you see evident misuse of public funds and other illegal acts, you have a duty to report it', says Thomas Buchvald Vind.

Better safe than sorry

'If an employee at SDU is in doubt about whether he or she should report information about a matter or not, because the person in question is in doubt about whether it falls within the scope of the scheme, he or she should report the information', Thomas Buchvald Vind emphasises.

The whistleblowing scheme will run in a closed and recognised IT system outside SDU. The system is already used by other public institutions in Denmark.

If you want to be absolutely sure that you are anonymous, don't access SDU's whistleblowing system from an SDU computer and don't log into SDU's network in connection with the report.

Who will be able to use SDU's whistleblowing scheme and when?

'In about a month, we will be ready to include the students, former and current employees, external partners and authorities in SDU's whistleblowing scheme', says the Director.