---
title: "Whistleblowing channel: what it must guarantee | attendo"
description: "What a whistleblowing channel or internal reporting system is, what it must guarantee, what EU and Spanish law ask for and the mistake of using an inbox."
url: "https://attendo.me/en/glossary/whistleblowing-channel"
lang: "en"
---

# Whistleblowing channel: what it is and what it has to guarantee

Also known as: Internal reporting channel · whistleblower hotline

A whistleblowing channel is the way people who work with an organization report wrongdoing they have come across, by name or anonymously, without fear of retaliation.

## What it has to guarantee

- **Confidentiality** for the person reporting and the people named: only those who run the channel have access.
- **Anonymity**, if the person reporting chooses it.
- **Acknowledgment and deadlines**: the person reporting knows the report arrived and when they will get an answer.
- **A case file with a trail**: what came in, what was checked, who decided and when.
- **Protection from retaliation** for anyone reporting in good faith.

## What the law says in the EU and in Spain

The EU Whistleblower Directive (2019/1937) requires internal reporting channels in many organizations. Each member state applies it through its own law. In Spain, Law 2/2023 calls it an **internal information system**. It requires one of companies with 50 or more employees, among others, with acknowledgment within seven days and a response within three months at most.

Outside the EU the rules are different. What applies to you is for your legal advisor to confirm.

## An example

Someone in purchasing notices that one supplier always gets the orders without competing quotes, and reports it anonymously. They get an acknowledgment, and whoever runs the channel checks whether the report is admissible and investigates it. Every step is recorded until the case is closed with its outcome.

## The usual mistake

Using an email inbox as the channel. It does not guarantee anonymity, does not control who reads each message, does not track deadlines and leaves no case file. Doing things right without being able to prove it is of little use in an inspection.

## In attendo

The [whistleblowing channel](https://attendo.me/en/modules/whistleblowing) takes anonymous or named reports, opens a case file only administrators can see, flags the acknowledgment deadline and runs each case through an admissibility checklist. Every step is sealed on the timeline.

- [attendo Compliance](https://attendo.me/en/compliance)

## Where it is used in attendo

### Modules

- [Whistleblowing channel](https://attendo.me/en/modules/whistleblowing): Anonymous or named reports, with a case file and full traceability
- [attendo Forms](https://attendo.me/en/modules/forms): Public and QR forms that create the document, no account needed
- [Timeline](https://attendo.me/en/modules/timeline): All activity on the document, in order, with its author and channel

### Industries that use these modules

- [Compliance for consulting firms](https://attendo.me/en/industries/compliance)
- [Manufacturing and industrial plants](https://attendo.me/en/industries/manufacturing)
- [Facility maintenance and services](https://attendo.me/en/industries/facility-maintenance)
- [Equipment manufacturers and distributors](https://attendo.me/en/industries/equipment-manufacturers)
- [And any other business](https://attendo.me/en/industries)

## Related terms

Compliance

### Compliance evidence

Control evidence · audit evidence

Compliance evidence is the record that proves a control or obligation was carried out: what was checked, by whom, when and with what result, along with the documents that back it up.

Compliance

### Qualified electronic signature

QES

A qualified electronic signature is the highest level of signature under the EU eIDAS regulation: it is created with a qualified certificate and a secure device, and it is equivalent to a handwritten signature across the European Union.

Field work

### Inspection checklist

Maintenance checklist

An inspection checklist is the list of checks carried out during an inspection, with its record and, where needed, its signature.

[See all 53 glossary terms](https://attendo.me/en/glossary)

## Shall we look at it with your data?

We will show you how what you just read works in attendo, with your own assets, tickets and customers. If it is not a fit, we will tell you.

- With your operation, not a generic demo
- A real person from our team replies
- No cold calls afterwards

Would you rather talk first?

- Phone [+34 910 053 530](tel:+34910053530)
- Email [sales@attendo.me](mailto:sales@attendo.me)
- Monday to Thursday 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM and Friday 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM (Spain time)