Import Politique Lanceur Alerte Fr

Import: Politique Lanceur d'Alerte (France)

What it does

This import adapter migrates a French whistleblower policy (politique lanceur d'alerte) skill into the mini-claude-for-legal standard format. French whistleblower law is among the most developed in Europe: the Sapin II Law (Loi n° 2016-1691 du 9 décembre 2016) and the subsequent Waserman Law (Loi n° 2022-401 du 21 mars 2022, transposing the EU Whistleblower Directive) impose mandatory obligations on companies with 50 or more employees to establish a secure, confidential internal alert channel.

Non-compliance can result in criminal liability for the responsible officer and reputational damage. Critically, any whistleblower who faces retaliation has specific protected-person status and can obtain reinstatement, damages, and criminal sanctions against the retaliating employer.

Import config

Dry-run preview

IMPORT PREVIEW — politique-lanceur-alerte-FR
Source shape         : French whistleblower policy template
Entity size          : 50+ employees (mandatory channel required)
Channel              : internal + external (Waserman Law)
Référent alerte      : [requires user input]
Investigation        : mandatory procedure enabled
Anti-retaliation     : enabled
Confidentiality      : enabled
Language             : French
Output               : full_policy_fr

Legal framework (post-import context)

Sapin II Law (2016)

• Applies to entities with 50+ employees (public and private)
• Required: internal alert channel, confidential procedure, referent désigné
• Whistleblower definition: person who discloses, in good faith, a crime, misdemeanour, threat to general interest, violation of law or regulation, or international commitment

Waserman Law (2022) — EU Directive transposition

Key expansions over Sapin II:

• Extended protection: protects not only the whistleblower but also facilitators, colleagues, and relatives who may suffer retaliation
• External channel mandatory: must inform employees of both internal and external channels (Défenseur des Droits, sectoral authorities)
• Confidentiality reinforced: identity of the whistleblower must be kept strictly confidential throughout; violation is a criminal offence
• Broader scope: now includes violations of EU law in addition to French law
• Dedicated referent: companies must designate a referent with specific training and independence guarantees

Mandatory policy content

1. Scope and purpose

• Who can use the alert channel (employees, suppliers, subcontractors, shareholders)
• What can be reported (violations of law, ethical breaches, threats to general interest)

2. Alert channels

• Internal: dedicated secure email, secure web form, or physical address; must be separate from normal HR channels
• External: reference to external channels (Défenseur des Droits, AFA for anti-corruption, financial regulator, etc.)
• Protection of anonymity: option for anonymous reporting must be offered; policy must explain how anonymity is preserved

3. Investigation procedure

• Acknowledgement of receipt within 7 days
• Investigation timeline: outcome communicated to alertant within 3 months (or extended with justification)
• Who conducts the investigation: referent alerte (first instance); escalation path to audit committee or external body
• Separation of investigation from persons implicated

4. Confidentiality guarantees

• Identity of the alertant is confidential — cannot be disclosed without consent except when legally required
• Identity of the implicated person is confidential pending investigation
• Information gathered during investigation is confidential

5. Anti-retaliation protections

• Prohibition on all forms of retaliation: dismissal, demotion, harassment, exclusion
• Reinstatement right: courts can order reinstatement with back pay
• Shift of burden: employer must demonstrate any adverse action was unrelated to the alert
• Criminal penalties: 1 year imprisonment + €15,000 fine for obstruction of alert procedure (Sapin II Art 13)

6. Data protection compliance

• Alert system processes personal data → GDPR Article 13/14 notice required → reference to GDPR rights
• Retention: limited; CNIL recommends deletion of alert data that does not lead to investigation within 2 months
• Impact assessment (DPIA) recommended for alert processing systems

Common import issues

Related skills

• [[import-politique-confidentialite-fr]]
• [[import-politique-cookies-fr]]
• [[import-gdpr-privacy-notice-eu]]
• [[kb-employment-law-fr]]
• [[import-notification-licenciement]]