Glossary
Wet bescherming klokkenluiders (Wbk)
The Wet bescherming klokkenluiders is the Dutch transposition of EU Directive 2019/1937, in force since 18 February 2023. Employers with 50 or more employees must maintain an internal reporting procedure drawn up in consultation with the works council. Anonymous reports are explicitly permitted under Article 2(2). The Huis voor Klokkenluiders in Utrecht is the national authority.
Full definition
The Wet bescherming klokkenluiders ('Wbk', Whistleblower Protection Act) replaced the older Wet Huis voor klokkenluiders and gave the Netherlands a single piece of legislation covering internal reporting, external reporting to the Huis voor Klokkenluiders, and protection from retaliation. Employers with 50+ employees must maintain an internal reporting procedure (interne meldprocedure) drawn up in consultation with the works council (ondernemingsraad) under Article 17 Wbk. The act extends protected status to a wide range of work-related persons including job applicants, volunteers, board members, shareholders, and former employees up to two years after the end of the relationship. Anonymous reports are explicitly permitted under Article 2(2). The Huis voor Klokkenluiders in Utrecht is the national authority; it has both an advisory role and an investigative role and can impose recommendations on public-sector employers. Sanctions for retaliation can include damages and reinstatement; deliberate breach of confidentiality is criminally sanctioned under the Wet op de economische delicten with fines up to €22,500 and imprisonment up to six months. The Wbk applies to public and private sector alike and to legal entities that are not employers in the strict sense (e.g., foundations) where they engage volunteers.
Related terms
- National Transposition The national law that each EU member state enacts to implement EU Directive 2019/1937 domestically. A directive is not directly applicable: each state must pass its own law. States may exceed the minimum requirements (Spain set a €1m fine ceiling) but may not fall below them. All 27 member states had transposed Directive 2019/1937 by 2026.
- Internal Reporting Channel A confidential mechanism inside an organisation through which employees and other workers can report breaches. EU Directive 2019/1937 Article 8 requires every legal entity with 50 or more employees to operate one, accept reports in writing, orally, or through a physical meeting, acknowledge within 7 days, and provide substantive feedback within 3 months.
- External Reporting Channel A reporting route operated by a national competent authority, available as an alternative to internal channels. EU Directive 2019/1937 Article 11 requires each member state to designate authorities that receive reports directly, bypassing the employer. Reports made externally carry the same protection from retaliation as internal reports. Examples include Germany's Bundesamt für Justiz and France's Défenseur des droits.