From first contact to follow-up
We review a report step by step. At the outset, we discuss the role in which we act and how your information will be handled.
Make contact and clarify responsibility
You name the organization concerned and briefly describe your concern. We check the scope of our engagement and potential conflicts of interest. Before discussing further details, we address confidential ways of staying in touch and the limits of protection.
Understand the facts
We ask about specific events and assess the information from a legal perspective. A report does not have to be confirmed in every detail later on. It should be based on understandable facts and clearly identify uncertainties.
Agree on the next steps
We clarify what information the organization needs to assess the matter, whether follow-up questions are possible, and under what conditions your identity may be disclosed. Statutory duties and exceptions must be taken into account.
Follow-up action and feedback
Depending on the engagement, we initiate appropriate follow-up action as a reporting office or provide the necessary information to the responsible office. The organization remains responsible for remedying the problem.
What deadlines does the HinSchG set?
When a report is made to the internal reporting office, receipt must be acknowledged within seven days. Feedback on planned or completed follow-up action and the reasons for it must generally be provided within three months of acknowledgment. If no acknowledgment is sent, the deadline is no later than three months and seven days after receipt.
This is a deadline for feedback, not for the final completion of every investigation. The rights of people concerned and ongoing investigations can limit the content of the feedback. Without a way to contact the reporting person, acknowledgment and follow-up questions are not possible in practice.