Internal reporting systems have now been formally introduced in many organisations. Organisations have adopted internal policies, designated responsible persons and established basic procedures for receiving reports. This is an important step. However, merely meeting legal requirements does not mean that the system actually works — that people trust it, know how to use it and are not afraid to report a serious concern. 

This gap between formal compliance and real whistleblower protection is one of the key issues addressed by the VoiceGuard project. The project’s findings show that the effectiveness of reporting systems does not depend only on whether an organisation has fulfilled all its legal obligations. Equally important is how the system is perceived by employees, how reports are handled by responsible persons, whether confidentiality is ensured, how the organisation communicates with the whistleblower, and whether it is able to prevent retaliation in time. 

This is why the VoiceGuard project also includes educational activities for those involved in whistleblower protection and the operation of internal reporting systems within organisations. The aim of these training sessions is not merely to explain the legal framework or repeat statutory obligations. Legal regulation is a necessary starting point, but the real quality of a system becomes visible only in specific situations: during the first contact with a whistleblower, when assessing a report, when protecting the whistleblower’s identity, when communicating with the organisation’s management, or when identifying risky forms of retaliation. 

VoiceGuard training sessions therefore combine legal knowledge with practical examples, experiences from different European countries and insights gathered from whistleblowers and practitioners. Participants will focus on how to properly receive and handle reports, how to establish safe communication, how to strengthen trust in the system, and how to recognise situations in which a whistleblower may be exposed to pressure or retaliation. 

A well-designed reporting system is not only a tool for fulfilling a legal obligation. It can help an organisation identify risks at an early stage, prevent more serious problems and strengthen a culture of integrity and responsibility.  

VoiceGuard therefore supports education that goes beyond formal legal compliance. This training will begin in autumn 2026 and will focus on helping internal reporting systems become genuinely trustworthy and safe tools — for whistleblowers, for responsible persons and for the organisations themselves.