Reporting misconduct in volunteer activities

At the Red Cross, safety, ethics and trust are at the heart of everything we do.
A misconduct report is a report of a situation where you suspect that an actor of the organisation has acted in violation against the rules, ethical guidelines and principles of the Red Cross.

If you notice or suspect such behaviour, it is important to bring it to our attention as soon as possible so that the case can be investigated and corrected.

You do not need to be sure if actual misconduct has taken place. All you need to do is have a legitimate concern or suspicion. You can also report misconduct anonymously if you wish.

On this page we explain

how to report misconduct
reasons for submitting a report
what happens after submitting the report
how the confidentiality of the whistleblower is protected.

What should be reported?

Inappropriate behaviour

The Finnish Red Cross seeks to resolve any inappropriate behaviour in volunteer activities primarily through discussion or mediation. Situations that can be mediated include, for example, conflicts between people, gossip, cooperation problems and ambiguities related to interaction or roles.

If you encounter inappropriate behaviour in volunteer activities, report it to the volunteer or employee responsible for the activity. For guidance on preventing and identifying inappropriate behaviour, see the Amity within Red Cross guide. Serious cases such as harassment, abuse or discrimination are reported to the whistleblowing channel.

Suspicion of misconduct

If you suspect possible misconduct, please report it. Misconduct can be abuse of power, corruption, bribery or breach of ethical guidelines. It can also be harassment, abuse or discrimination. Misconduct can affect beneficiaries, volunteers and employees alike.

Who can submit a report?

A report of suspected misconduct can be made by any beneficiary, volunteer, employee of the organisation or any other person.

The whistleblower does not need to have any evidence - a reasonable suspicion of misconduct is sufficient. However, to resolve the case, you need to describe the situation as accurately as possible. The investigation of the case is the responsibility of the organisation.

Confidentiality of the report

All reports are processed confidentially. The information in the report is processed only by those persons who need to be involved in the processing of the case.

The identity of the whistleblower remains confidential throughout the process, unless otherwise required by law or the nature of the investigation. In this case, the matter is first discussed with the whistleblower.

If necessary, the report can be made anonymously. Anonymous reporting means you do not have to give your name or contact details. However, providing your contact details will speed up the process and is therefore recommended.

How to submit a report?

Report misconduct online

Misconduct reports are primarily made by filling in an online form. The whistleblowing channel is administrated by an external operator.

In the report, describe the situation or incident in as much detail as possible and indicate the date. Write down the code provided by the service. You will need the code later if you have made the report anonymously and want to follow the processing of your report or answer further questions.

Alternative means of submitting a report

If necessary, reports can also be made:

By email to the internal auditor: riika.viik@redcross.fi.
By mail to: Tehtaankatu 1 A, 00140 Helsinki Write “Internal Auditor/Confidential” on the envelope.

Receipt of report and provision of additional information

The internal auditor of the organisation will process the report. The internal auditor has a deputy to whom the matter is referred if the internal auditor is unavailable.

You will receive a reply to your notification from the internal auditor. The internal auditor may need more information to investigate the case, and it is therefore important to monitor communications. If no further information is needed, you may not receive any further messages.

If you provide your email address in the notification, the internal auditor will communicate with you by email. If you submit the report anonymously and without providing contact details, remember to check later to see whether there are any messages in the service. You can access messages sent to the service by using the code provided when submitting the report.

Processing of the report

All reports are dealt with appropriately and, if necessary,the matter will be further investigated. A more detailed investigation can take weeks or months. The whistleblower will be kept informed of progress as appropriate. Not all details of the processing or possible measures can always be communicated to the whistleblower.

If necessary, the regional Red Cross district will participate in the processing of the case if the report concerns the activities of the volunteer branches in the region. The internal auditor will continue investigating the case and ensure that it is processed thoroughly.

An investigation will not be carried out if there is not enough information to investigate the case after additional questions have been asked. Similarly, an investigation will not be carried out if the case has already been settled.