Whistleblower function – report irregularities

The whistleblower function at Arbetsförmedlingen is to be used by those who work at Arbetsförmedlingen or who have another connection to our authority. This means that more people than employees have the opportunity to report misconduct, for example prospective employees, former employees, trainees or consultants.

Whistleblowing can concern misconduct that poses an imminent or obvious danger to life, health or safety. Or risk of extensive damage to the environment or other event where there is reason to report to us. It can also apply to suspicions of, for example, financial irregularities, corruption, bribery and embezzlement.

A report that only concerns the reporting person's own work or employment relationship is not normally covered by the Whistleblower Act. But it can still do so based on the circumstances of the individual case.

In order for a whistleblower to be covered by the Whistleblower Act when reporting internally, the reported information must consist of a public interest, if the information comes to light, and apply to misconduct that the reporting person became aware of in a work-related context.

What is a public interest?

In order to be considered as public interest, it is required that the reported misconduct concerns a circle of people who can be described as the public. It is also required that the public has a legitimate interest in the misconduct coming to light, for example if the misconduct affects the public negatively and can thus be remedied. The more common and more systematic the malpractice, the greater is the societal interest in these being remedied or stopped.

Publicity and confidentiality, personal data and documentation

Documents that the whistleblower function has received and documents drawn up in a follow-up matter are kept in a diary at Arbetsförmedlingen. Arbetsförmedlingen is an authority, which means that a report can become a public document that anyone has the right to request to see. Information in a whistle-blowing, on the other hand, can be covered by confidentiality, and Arbetsförmedlingen therefore always makes a so-called confidentiality assessment when documents are released.

The processing that takes place at the whistleblower function at Arbetsförmedlingen is covered by the provisions on personal data processing and is handled based on the data protection regulation and supplementary rules in the whistleblower act. With the whistleblower function, confidentiality applies to information that may reveal the identity of the reporting person and to information that may reveal the identity of another individual, unless it is clear that the information can be disclosed without the individual suffering harm or loss.

Your registration is registered

When your message or report is received by the whistleblower function at Arbetsförmedlingen, it is registered and given a diary number. You will receive a confirmation that your notification has been received and registered within seven days if you have provided contact details.

The legal prerequisites for the whistleblower function can be found in the Act (2021:890) on the protection of persons who report misconduct.

The whistleblower function at Arbetsförmedlingen belongs organizationally to the Security Unit, but the function is independent in relation to the main business. The employees who are connected to the whistleblower function are authorized and mandated to receive, maintain contact with the reporting person, follow up on reported information and provide feedback to the reporter on behalf of the authority. Follow-up cases with the whistleblower function lead to a documented assessment. The reporting person receives feedback when the information is received and when the whistleblower function has completed handling. Feedback cannot be given if the whistleblowing was done by a person who reported anonymously.

The reporting person can raise the alarm about a public interest misconduct through an external channel established by a designated competent authority or through some of the EU institutions, bodies and agencies. The authorities designated as competent authorities must, through external reporting channels, receive, follow up and provide feedback on reports of misconduct within a designated area of ​​responsibility. The reporting person can also choose to turn to an external channel if they have tried to report internally but have not received a response. If a report has been received by the wrong competent authority, it is handed over to the correct competent authority.

Authorities designated as competent authorities (riksdagen.se) (in Swedish)

The protection of whistleblowers consists of freedom of reporting, freedom of acquisition, right to anonymity, prohibition of research and prohibition of reprisals, and includes, among other things, an opportunity to release usually classified information to the mass media for publication with impunity. However, this does not apply to confidential information that is subject to restrictions.

The Whistleblower Act supplements the protection that already exists today and does not change the protection according to the constitutions. This means, among other things, that it will also be possible in the future for public servants to go directly to journalists for publication purposes with information about, for example, irregularities. In order for the reporter to receive protection under the Whistleblower Act when the information is made public, the reporter must first have reported via an internal and/or external channel and the recipient has then not taken reasonable follow-up measures due to the reporting, or provided feedback within the specified time.