Organizations obliged by the Directive (EU) 2019/1937 of the European Parliament and of the Council to implement whistleblowing procedures are facing a dilemma of how to successfully fulfill this duty. ISO standard 37002:2021, developed by the International Organization of Standardization is of great help to establish a clear, employee-friendly and effective whistleblowing system.
When searching for whistleblowing procedures in order to fulfil new EU Directive legislation, you can find the international ISO standards. Let’s analyse what role ISO standards play in the process of implementing a whistleblowing system in your organisation and how they relate to the new whistleblowing legislation.
What are ISO standards?
International collections of standardized rules and best practices on how to manage, improve or secure various aspects of organizations in private, public or non-profit sectors.
ISO standards can provide guidance on how to implement the EU Directive
ISO 37002 is a catalogue of instructions, guidelines and solutions that will help you create, implement and comply with your organisation’s whistleblowing system compatible with whistleblowing legislation.Full document is divided into four categories:1) receiving reports of wrongdoing2) assessing report of wrongdoing3) addressing report of wrongdoing4) concluding whistleblowing casesShould you be interested in purchasing the document, please visit the International Organization of Standardization (ISO) website.
Are ISO standards necessary?
ISO creates procedures as generic, standardized documents. Thanks to that, these are appropriate for all organizations, regardless of economic sector or size. ISO 37002 can function as an individual norm in your company or can be easily fitted to implemented managerial standards. Therefore, adapting ISO standards is not necessary to create a proper whistleblowing system. Nevertheless, operating a business according to international standards is usually considered a symptom of a highest quality managerial model.If you are looking for guidance on how to create a safe and useful whistleblowing system, meeting EU Directives requirements, ISO standards are a substantive and practical source of information.
