The Labor Ministry opened an investigation into corruption against Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. following a complaint by a company employee filed in 2024.
The employee who submitted the complaint requested to be recognized as a whistleblower.
Out of three complaints filed at the Labor Ministry between 2021-2024, only the complaint against Teva was forwarded for investigation, according to the data.
Most complaints submitted to the ministry are closed, and given their already low numbers, questions arise about whether there is sufficient awareness of the whistleblower protection mechanism and whether it is truly effective.
The Employee Protection Law grants protection to whistleblowers—employees who expose violations of integrity or administrative misconduct in their workplace or assist in such exposure and, as a result, face retaliation, suffer workplace-related harm, or are dismissed.
As part of the protections afforded under the law, it is stipulated that harming an employee under this law carries penalties imposed by the labor court, including up to three years of imprisonment or, alternatively, a financial fine of up to NIS 75,300.
Additionally, according to a government decision from 2021, the responsibility for regulating and enforcing the law falls on the Labor Ministry, which is also responsible for initiating legal proceedings, including filing indictments under the Employee Protection Law.
Enforcement and oversight mechanisms related to whistleblowers offer various options, ranging from imposing fines to recommending the initiation of a criminal investigation.
At the end of 2024, Teva reached a settlement with US authorities, agreeing to pay a $450 million fine following lawsuits filed against the company.
These lawsuits were related to price-fixing and fraud, including covering co-payments for insured patients using its leading drug, Copaxone.
The ministry stated the matter was under review.
'A crucial responsibility'
CEO of the Movement for Freedom of Information, Hiddai Negev, noted of the incident, "We hope that the exposure of this complaint and the possibility of filing a whistleblower protection lawsuit against Teva by the Labor Arm will serve as a first step toward protecting whistleblowers within the Labor Ministry itself.
"In fact, since the law was enacted in 1997 until today, the Labor Arm has shirked its legal responsibilities and has not even published its authority and duty to protect whistleblowers on its website.
"It is important to emphasize that the state's protection of whistleblowers and encouragement of corruption exposure in public authorities and corporations is one of the most crucial responsibilities the government must uphold to eradicate corruption. We can only hope that from this point forward, the Labor Arm will fully embrace this critical mission," Hiddai added.