Any practices of moral and/or sexual harassment and discrimination based on gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, national origin, religious beliefs and/or political convictions are considered infractions. Regardless of its typology, the complaint may refer to offences committed, in the course of being committed or which may reasonably be foreseen, as well as attempts to conceal such offences. Know more about this topic.

Harassment is defined as unwanted behaviour, particularly when based on any discriminatory factor, with the purpose or effect of affecting the dignity of a person, which may result in physical, sexual, psychological or economic harm and falls within the definition of bullying, sexual harassment and discrimination.

The mechanism of the Whistleblower Portal is governed by the principles of impartiality, independence, secrecy and confidentiality, from the receipt and processing of complaints, to their resolution.

When filing a report, you should provide detailed information about the incident. This description should include, whenever possible, the full names of the people involved, the place and date where the incident occurred, is occurring or will occur, and whether it was an isolated incident or a recurring incident. Whenever possible, you should provide evidence or explain how the evidence can be obtained. Learn more about how to make a report on the Whistleblower Portal.

According to the RGPDI, whistleblowers are natural persons in good faith who report an infringement based on information obtained in the course of their professional activity, regardless of the nature of this activity and the sector in which it is carried out, even if such relationship with NOVA has already ceased, namely:

• Workers, teaching and non-teaching staff of NOVA;
• Students, researchers and scholarship holders of NOVA;
• Service providers, contractors, subcontractors and suppliers, as well as any person acting under the supervision and direction of NOVA;
• Persons belonging to administrative or management bodies or to supervisory or controlling bodies of NOVA, including non-executive members;
• Volunteers and interns, paid or unpaid, participants in recruitment processes at NOVA.

According to the Regulation of the General Regime for the Protection of Whistleblowers, whistleblowers benefit from legal protection, witness protection measures in criminal proceedings, assistance and collaboration with the competent authorities and other entities to ensure the protection of the whistleblower against acts of retaliation, in particular through certification that he/she is recognised as such under the GDPR whenever the whistleblower requests it, and legal access to defend his/her legally protected rights and interests.