The EU Whistleblower Directive protects people who report misconduct or legal violations in companies or government bodies.
In Austria, it is implemented through the Whistleblower Protection Act. Secure channels and protective measures are designed to encourage employees to report problems without facing adverse consequences.
Violations can be reported in areas such as finance, product safety, transportation, data protection, IT, the environment, health, animal and consumer protection, official misconduct, and EU interests.
For the Austrian Patent Office, the Federal Disciplinary Authority serves as the internal reporting office for whistleblowers. Reports can be submitted via the Federal Disciplinary Authority’s website.
If handling a report within the internal system is not possible, not appropriate, or not reasonable, or has proven unsuccessful or futile, it is possible to report to an external body.
For reports of legal violations by a public sector entity, the Federal Bureau of Anti-Corruption serves as the external reporting office.