Whistleblowing at Work: What the Law Protects, How to Report Correctly, and What to Do When Retaliation Occurs

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The whistleblower law is the strongest right an employee has against the employer – and the most common to be neglected. It is neglected by mixing the alarm with a personal conflict, by sending it through the wrong channel, by collecting evidence in a way that is criminal, or by failing to document the reporting so that reprisals can be linked to it. This guide is written to ensure you do none of that.

What constitutes whistleblowing – and what does not

Who is protected

The protection applies to “reporting persons” in a broad sense (Chapter 1, Section 8): employees, job applicants, self-employed individuals, volunteers and interns, persons in management and board positions, shareholders active in the company, hired personnel – and all these even after they have left the organization or before they have started. The protection also covers those who assist you in reporting, colleagues and relatives who suffer reprisals, and legal entities you own or work for (Chapter 1, Section 9). You do not need to be permanently employed, unionized, or correct in substance – it is sufficient that you had reasonable grounds to believe the information was true (Chapter 4, Section 3).

Three channels – and when you can skip the first

• Internal reporting (Chapter 4, Sections 4–5): via the employer's internal channel if it exists and meets the legal requirements, otherwise in another internal way – to a manager, board, auditor. If a channel is missing where there should be one, you are still protected.
• External reporting (Chapter 4, Sections 6–7): to the authority designated for the subject area – Arbetsmiljöverket for work environment, IVO for health and social care, Finansinspektionen, Skatteverket, Konkurrensverket, IMY, Ekobrottsmyndigheten, among others. The list is available in the ordinance (2021:949) and at Arbetsmiljöverket. You may go directly to the authority without first reporting internally. If you report to an authority outside its channel, it is required that you first attempted internally without result, that there is imminent danger, or that you have reasonable grounds to believe that internal reporting would lead to reprisals or not address the issue.
• Disclosure (Chapter 4, Section 9) – media, social media: protected if you first reported externally without the authority acting within three months (six in special circumstances), or if there is imminent or obvious danger to life, health, safety, or the environment, or if external reporting would lead to reprisals or not help. Public employees and employees in publicly funded healthcare, education, and care also have freedom of communication which applies regardless of the whistleblower law's order.

How to write the report so that it holds

The report is your most important document, not only for addressing the issue but also for being able to show that and when you reported when reprisals occur. Write it as a report, not as a letter to a friend.

Report on misconduct according to the law (2021:890) on the protection of persons reporting misconduct

Date: [date]
Reporting person: [name/role – or anonymous if the channel allows]

1. The misconduct
[Describe specifically what is happening or has happened, which rule/law/routine is being violated and by which function.]

2. Time and place
[Date, period, unit, system.]

3. Supporting material
[Documents, emails, logs, witnesses. Indicate where they are located.]

4. Public interest
[Who is affected, how seriously, if it is recurring.]

5. Previous actions
[What you have reported, to whom, when, and the response.]

I request written confirmation within seven days and feedback within three months according to Chapter 5, Section 7. I request that my identity be treated with the confidentiality prescribed by law.

Protection: immunity from liability and prohibition of reprisals

• Immunity from liability (Chapter 2, Section 1): you cannot be held liable for breaching confidentiality through reporting if you had reasonable grounds to believe it was necessary to disclose the misconduct. Exception: qualified confidentiality under the Public Access to Information and Secrecy Act (such as certain defense and intelligence secrecy) and information disclosed intentionally without necessity.
• Prohibition against obstruction (Chapter 3, Section 1): the employer may not obstruct or attempt to obstruct reporting – threats, “reminders of the duty of loyalty,” confidentiality agreements as a condition.
• Prohibition of reprisals (Chapter 3, Section 1): dismissal, termination, reassignment, withheld pay increase, changed schedule, negative references, blacklisting, harassment – anything that is a negative consequence of reporting.
• Right to consult with the union (Chapter 3, Section 2) without reprisals.
• Damages (Chapter 3, Section 4) for loss and violation. In case of dismissal or termination, the ordinary rules of LAS apply concurrently.
• Reversal of the burden of proof (Chapter 3, Section 5): if you demonstrate circumstances that give reason to believe you have been subjected to reprisals, it is the employer who must prove that this has not occurred. Therefore, the timeline – report, confirmation, action against you – is everything.

When reprisals occur

Reprisals rarely come as a letter titled “reprisal.” They come as a reorganization where your position disappears, a new schedule, a warning for something everyone does, a conversation about the “collaborative climate,” or a probationary employment that is suddenly terminated. Treat each such action as a separate case and link it to the report.

Deadlines

If you are publicly employed, there is also whistleblower protection and a prohibition on investigation: publicly employed. If it is an authority you wish to report, not your employer: whistleblower against authority. For what happens next: document, relocation, termination.

Sources

• Act (2021:890) on the Protection of Persons Reporting Irregularities
• Regulation (2021:949) – Competent Authorities and External Channels
• Swedish Work Environment Authority: List of Authorities with External Reporting Channels
• Swedish Work Environment Authority: Whistleblower Act and Supervision of Internal Channels
• Employment Protection Act (LAS) Sections 40–41 – Deadlines for Termination and Dismissal
• Co-determination in the Workplace Act (MBL) Sections 64–66 – Deadlines for Other Reprisals

The guide is general information about applicable rules, not advice for your case. Collective agreements may deviate from the law on several points. Legal status checked on 25 September 2026.

For those reading under stress

The guide is intended as support when you already have a lot on your mind. You do not need to read everything at once: start with the section that matches where you are today and return when the next step becomes relevant.

Cases with authorities rarely improve by carrying everything alone. Ask for help from a support person, lawyer, or relative if you can – especially before decisions with long-term effects.

Common mistakes that make the case more difficult

• Relying only on verbal promises without brief written confirmation or follow-up email.
• Waiting to request documents until the conflict is already locked – then it becomes harder to show what was said.
• Writing so long and emotionally that the authority stops responding to the substantive issue.
• Missing deadlines for reconsideration or appeal because the decision was not read verbatim.

Mini-checklist before you leave the guide

1. Do I have the date, diary/case number, and name of the person handling it (if you know)?
2. Do I know what the next step is: respond, request, remind, appeal, or report?
3. Have I saved emails and attachments in a place where I can find them in a week?