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On 1 February 2023, the Austrian National Council passed the so-called Whistleblower Protection Act (HinweisgeberInnenschutzgesetz). This law regulates a set of obligations for companies in relation to whistleblowing, with the setup of an internal “whistle-blowing system” a priority. This new law will come into force shortly — following a formal confirmation by the Federal Council of Austria, which is still pending. The Austrian legislator is finally implementing the requirements of the EU Whistleblower Directive, although with a delay of more than a year.

The German Bundestag passed the German Whistleblower Protection Act on 16 December 2022. After initially not being expected to be passed this year, the bill did make it onto the agenda of the last session day of the year at short notice and was passed in a version amended by the Legal Affairs Committee (Rechtsausschuss) with the coalition’s majority. The next step is for the Bundesrat to approve the bill. However, this is not expected until the first plenary session in February 2023 at the earliest.

The Tax and Legal Breakfasts: Employment seminar at the Baker McKenzie Luxembourg Office on Tuesday 29 November 2022 is designed to give our clients the keys to better apprehend and manage dismissal cases under Luxembourg law. During the seminar, we will cover the traditional questions of the types of dismissal and explain how to build up and manage a case. Furthermore, in a context where employers have difficulties in exercising their power of control over employees working remotely, where harassment claims constantly increase and where employers fear abusive whistleblowing procedures, we will also explain what measures could be implemented or course of action, such as dismissal, taken.
All sessions are complimentary to Baker McKenzie clients and affiliates.

Addressing whistleblower complaints has quickly become front and center for companies in Asia Pacific. Research shows that it is increasingly apparent that whistleblowing programs need to adapt and evolve with the legal and regulatory landscape, and it is vital that management implements a regular review of those programs. Explore Baker McKenzie’s custom research, conducted in collaboration with Acuris Studios, based on responses from 523 senior executives from companies in Asia Pacific.

The European Whistleblowing Directive was to be implemented by the European Union’s 27 member states by no later than 17 December 2021, impacting employers with operations in those jurisdictions. Member states are still passing their implementing legislation, meaning employers are facing a period of intense activity as they adapt to changes in legislation across the region.

Across the world, trade secrets are becoming increasingly important. As companies align workforce transformation, manage supply chain operations and balance the needs of their digital transformation journey, new strategies are required for the identification, protection and enforcement of their most valuable, complex and market-differentiating trade secrets.
In this series of bite-sized videos, hear from Baker McKenzie’s global trade secrets team across disputes, intellectual property, data and technology and employment and compensation on best practices for a strategic, multidisciplinary approach to manage your trade secrets, disputes and risks.
Learn more about our Global Trade Secrets Group and uncover regional trends through the video below:
Best Practices for Maintaining Trade Secrets

Join us on 6 October 2022 in Sydney at the official launch of our new report — Asia Pacific Whistleblowing Landscape: Benchmarking and Best Practices. We will share the results of our recent survey of companies across Asia Pacific in relation to their experiences of whistleblowing complaints and what measures they have adopted. Results of the survey include:
• 41% experienced an increase in reports in the last year
• 42% considered they had received vexatious reports
• 87% had taken disciplinary action in relation to victimization of whistleblowers