Whistleblower system
Internal reporting office
The Act for Better Protection of Whistleblowers (Hinweisgeberschutzgesetz - HinSchG), which serves to implement the Whistleblower Directive (Directive (EU) 2019/1937) into German law, plays an important role in protecting whistleblowers who report violations of laws and regulations at Paderborn University.
To implement the law, we have set up a whistleblower system (internal reporting office). It offers employees of Paderborn University and all other persons who have contact with the university the opportunity to report legal violations confidentially. Reports can be submitted either anonymously or by providing contact details. There are two reporting channels available to you:
- In text form via the online reporting portal: You can access this here (you will be redirected to the external page 'insider-report').
- Orally via the telephone hotline: You can reach them on +49 (0)173 459 11 96.
Please note that our whistleblower system can only be used to report legal violations that fall under the scope of protection of the HinSchG. These include, among others:
- Criminal offenses, for example corruption, theft, fraud and the like,
- breaches of environmental law, radiation protection and nuclear safety regulations,
- breaches of regulations on the protection of personal data and the confidentiality of (electronic) communications and information technology security,
- breaches of regulations for contracting authorities on the procedure for awarding public contracts,
- statements made by civil servants that constitute a breach of the duty to comply with the constitution.
Paderborn University has appointed Integrity GmbH as its ombudsman. It accepts every report received via the reporting portal or the hotline, checks them and forwards the reports that fall within the material scope of the HinSchG to the university in confidence.
Within the university, representatives of the Organizational Advice and Internal Auditing Office take care of the further processing of reports of legal violations under the HinSchG. The internal reporting office treats the identity of the whistleblower confidentially. The identity of the whistleblower may only be disclosed to the employees entrusted with the tasks of the internal reporting office and the persons supporting them in the fulfillment of these tasks without their express consent.
In addition, the confidentiality of the identity of the persons who are the subject of a report or the other persons named in the report must be maintained. Exceptions are regulated in § 9 HinSchG.
Details on data processing by Integrity GmbH can be found here.
If your report was not made anonymously via the telephone hotline, Integrity GmbH will send you a confirmation of receipt within 7 days and will inform you within 3 months at the latest of the results of the investigation into your report.
For general information, complaints or suggestions, please contact the relevant contact or advice center at the university.
External reporting offices
In addition to the internal reporting office, external reporting offices are also available:
Federal Reporting Office at the Federal Office of Justice
www.bundesjustizamt.de/DE/MeldestelledesBundes/MeldestelledesBundes.html
Reporting office at the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority
www.bafin.de/DE/DieBaFin/Hinweisgeberstelle/hinweisgeberstelle_node.html
Reporting office at the Federal Cartel Office
www.bundeskartellamt.de/DE/Kartellverbot/Anonyme_Hinweise/anonymehinweise_node.html