Examples of misconduct

Misconduct affects the public interest and goes beyond a personal conflict. A situation may be considered misconduct if:

• the law is broken
• people’s health or safety is under threat
• the environment is at risk of being harmed
• the functioning of the university is at risk of being impaired

Who can report misconduct

Anyone affiliated with the UvA can report misconduct, such as: students, staff, PhD candidates, interns, temporary workers, self-employed individuals, guest lecturers, alumni, applicants, volunteers, (sub)contractors and suppliers.

How you report misconduct

If you suspect misconduct, you can report it internally first. This gives the UvA the opportunity to investigate and resolve the issue. You are not required to report misconduct internally — you may also file an external report immediately.

In all cases, your report will be treated confidentially. Your identity will not be disclosed unless you provide explicit written consent.

Submitting an internal report

• You can report suspected misconduct to the Committee for Reporting Suspected Misconduct via integriteit@caop.nl. This independent committee will investigate your report and subsequently issue an independent recommendation to the Executive Board (CvB). The committee consists of several members and is chaired by an external, independent chair. The secretariat is provided by the Centre for Labour Relations in the Public Sector (CAOP). In the Decision establishing the Committee for reporting suspected malpractice  you can read more on the working method and members of the committee.

• Are you unsure whether something qualifies as misconduct and want to talk it over first? Or would you like more information about next steps? If so, you can contact the Reporting Point for Social Safety and Integrity. In consultation with you, the reporting point can forward your report to the Committee for Reporting Suspected Misconduct.

Submitting an external report

If you wish to report misconduct outside the UvA, you can contact the authority responsible for the type of misconduct in question, such as the Dutch Data Protection Authority (in Dutch: Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens). If you are unsure which authority is responsible, you can contact the advisory department of the Dutch Whistleblowers Authority (in Dutch: Huis voor Klokkenluiders).

Advice and support

As a whistleblower, you can confidentially consult an adviser. An adviser can support you and, if necessary, help you take further steps. Within the UvA, you can turn to:

• A confidential adviser for undesirable behaviour and integrity
• The Ombudsperson

An adviser can also be someone external to the organisation, such as a lawyer, trade union representative, legal expenses insurer, or the Dutch Whistleblowers Authority.

Protection for whistleblowers

If you report misconduct, you are protected under whistleblower protection laws. The UvA may not disadvantage you during or after the handling of your report, even if you report the misconduct to an external body. Disadvantage includes adverse actions such as dismissal, suspension, negative performance reviews, transfers, defamation, discrimination or intimidation.

This protection also applies to your adviser and to others involved in the report or its investigation.

Dutch Universities Whistleblower Policy

The Dutch Universities Whistleblower Policy 2025 outlines in detail what you can report, how to report it, your rights during the process, and the follow-up procedure.