In case of conflicts with our core values and codes of conduct of the Ethics Management System that an employee can no longer evaluate on his/her own, Bauer, in accordance with an open corporate culture, encourages its employees to confidently approach contact points in the company, such as, for example the competent line manager, compliance officer and the Internal Audit. Third parties may also centrally contact the
Internal Audit of BAUER AG, phone: +49 151 113 105 52 or +49 160 728 496 2, e-mail: compliance(at)bauer.de .
Open communication is fostered in the BAUER Group. No investigation will be carried out based on anonymous information. However, interests of the informants in protecting their anonymity are taken into account.
Rules of procedure for whistleblower system
Retaliation against whistleblowers will not be tolerated by Bauer. Violations of this prohibition will also be punished as non-compliance with the rules.
As part of our Ethics Management System, not only our employees but also third parties (especially our clients and suppliers) have the possibility to provide information on possible violations of laws and regulations in order to have them checked. The informants can contact us in the following ways; these, however, must be used responsibly:
Employees and third parties who see the need for a personal and confidential discussion before and while giving information can also contact the Ombudsman of the BAUER Group. The Ombudsman is available as the contact person for topics in cases where a clarification within the Group is very difficult. These topics are, in particular, corruption and anti-competitive agreements. The Ombudsman does not perform any duties of customer service (for example, product complaints). The function of the Ombudsman is assumed by an independent external lawyer. Informants can provide information to the Ombudsman via telephone, in writing (email or letter) or in person:
Lawyer
Christian Pollin
Friedrichshofener Str. 12
85049 Ingolstadt
Tel.: +49 841 885407-0
Fax: +49 841 885407-10
E-Mail: bauergruppe-ombudsmann(at)hugger-pollin.de
www.hugger-pollin.de
The Ombudsman will accept information only under the disclosure of the identity of the informant. Anonymous information is not part of our corporate culture. Should an informant want to maintain confidentiality, the Ombudsman will only forward the facts provided by the informant to Bauer. However, the name and the identity of the informant will be kept confidential. The confidentiality is ensured by the professional obligation of secrecy and the lawyer’s privilege to refuse to give evidence as well as by a contractual agreement.
Retaliation against whistleblowers will not be tolerated by Bauer. Violations of this prohibition will also be punished as non-compliance with the rules.