Explanation of the Trust Hotline
The Trust Hotline can be used to report any matter where there is a reasonable suspicion of a breach of internal regulations or a violation of the law. This includes, for example, the spheres of white-collar crime, attacks on IT security, breaches of competition law, breaches of data protection as well as infringements of sexual self-determination.
The first point of contact for employees should continue to be the immediate work setting, such as in the form of the supervisor, management, works council, legal or human resources department, to the extent that this is possible for the informant based on the facts of the case. Should the informant not consider an immediate report to be appropriate, he may contact the Ombudsman directly. His Trust Hotline, to which only he has personal access, can be accessed worldwide. Anonymity is possible through all communication channels (electronic reporting platform, telephone...) and information is treated confidentially in all cases. A woman is, of course, also available as a contact person upon request. The Ombudsman shall review all reports as to their relevance.
The informant who reports actual or suspected wrongdoings in good faith shall not face any negative consequences. “In good faith” implies that the informant has a plausible reason to assume that the facts they are reporting are correct, do not contradict their own state of knowledge and they are convinced that the facts will harm the company, employees, customers or suppliers. The informant must not deliberately provide any incorrect or slanderous references or information. The Trust Hotline must not be misused for purposes beyond those set out in these Guidelines.
